275    777 


' 


GIFT   OF 
Author 


rA;;;, 


n  J4nti-warfPlay) 


by 
FANNY  BIXBY:  SPENCER 


GEO.  W.  MOYLE  PUB.  CO. 

337  EAST  THIRD  ST. 
LONG    BEACH.    CALIFORNIA 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 
INTRODUCTION 

During  the  years  1917-1918  while  the  country  in  which 
I  happened  to  have  been  born  was  weltering  in  the  de 
bauchery  of  nations  called  the  Great  War,  certain  things 
took  place  at  home  which  are  not  being  shown  up  in  their 
true  light  in  the  history  books  which  the  public  is  now 
receiving.  We  find  them  mentioned  sometimes  as  base 
digressions  of  conduct  on  the  part  of  a  few  stubborn 
radicals  or  referred  to  as  crimes  of  terrorist  reds,  but 
most  frequently  we  notice  the  reactionary  press  ignoring 
them  with  great  care  and  shrewdness.  The  military  party 
today  would  like  to  have  the  people  forget  that  Pacifists 
and  non-conformists  existed  during  the  war.  Gladly  would 
they  bury  their  memory  in  a  grave  of  oblivion  so  deep 
that  no  inquiring  posterity  might  unearth  it,  but  this  is 
not  possible.  The  war  heretics  who  endured  the  defama 
tions  and  persecutions  of  their  nationalistic  and  belligerent 
contemporaries  have  shown  themselves  of  such  stuff  that 
the  future  will  have  to  reckon  with  them,  and  the  sooner 
they  are  recognized  at  their  full  social  value  the  sooner 
will  the  world's  progress  be  assured. 

In  writing  and  publishing  this  play  which  deals  with 
actual  facts  and  circumstances  of  the  war  period,  I  have 
had  a  two-fold  intent — to  draw  a  picture  of  life  among 
the  stay-at-homes  and  to  bring  to  light  the  elements  of  a 
profound  and  misunderstood  philosophy.  As  a  picture 
my  work  may  be  too  literal  for  estheticism.  Art,  we  are 
told,  has  no  purpose  behind  it,  but  on  the  other  hand,  we 
are  privileged  to  use  any  means  we  may  fancy  to  express 
what  is  burning  within  us,  leaving  the  result  to  the  tender 
mercies  of  our  critics.  As  an  exposition  of  the  doctrine 

iii 

557361 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 

of  non-resistance  the  play  is  necessarily  inadequate.  Only 
a  bare  suggestion  can  be  given  of  the  theory  and  practice 
of  pacifism,  but  if  it  offers  even  a  rudimentary  answer  to 
the  question,  "What  must  we  do  to  be  saved  from  future 
wars?"  it  is  fulfilling  its  mission. 

A  dissenter  from  the  religion  of  patriotism  must  be 
willing  to  endure  public  censure  and  must  be  able  to  keep 
his  eyes  fixed  on  an  iridescent  future  beyond  the  gray 
mists  of  the  present.  Otherwise  his  is  an  unhappy  lot.  I 
make  no  apologies  for  certain  unpopular  sentiments  ex 
pressed  by  some  of  my  characters,  for  it  is  my  sincere 
conviction  that  war  is  wholly  dishonorable,  that  national 
patriotism  is  essentially  an  attribute  of  war,  and  that  the 
only  way  in  which  this  super-curse  of  the  ages  can  be 
thwarted  and  in  time  universally  discredited  as  a  means 
of  settling  world  affairs  is  by  carrying  on  the  strike  of  the 
Conscientious  Objectors,  which  as  a  coherent  moral  force 
had  its  inception  in  this  war. 

That  I  may  forestall  certain  expected  accusations,  I 
wish  to  make  a  few  explanations.  In  the  interim  of  peace 
war-hysteria  is  quickly  forgotten  and  it  may  be  said  by 
some  of  my  readers  that  I  have  overdrawn  instances  of 
this  hysteria,  but  my  own  experience  and  the  experience 
of  many  of  my  friends  and  acquaintances  during  the  war 
form  the  groundwork  upon  which  all  incidents  of  the  play 
are  constructed.  The  difficulty  has  been  to  color  suffici 
ently,  for  the  most  astonishing  things  of  war  are  the  real 
happenings,  whether  one's  viewpoint  is  the  front  or  the 
extreme  rear.  To  guard  against  extravagance  in  descrip 
tion,  I  have  in  some  cases  subjected  fiction  entirely  to 
actual  fact  and  have  repeated  words  exactly  as  I  heard 
them.  It  must  not  be  inferred  that  the  play  is  intended  as 

iv 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 

an  attack  upon  American  patriotism  exclusively.  I  found 
it  necessary  to  give  the  action  an  American  setting  because 
I  am  more  familiar  with  the  local  color  of  my  native 
country  than  of  other  countries,  but  in  spirit  the  play  is 
equally  applicable  to  any  country  and  to  any  war. 

FANNY  BIXBY  SPENCER. 

Costa  Mesa,  Calif., 
December,  1920. 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 


CHARACTERS  OF  THE  PLAY: 

MRS.  HOLDEN,  a  Pacifist. 
HELEN,  her  daughter,  a  teacher. 
MRS.   McCoNNELL,  an  erst-while  Wilsoman. 
JOSEPH,  her  son,  a  Conscientious  Objector. 
HENRY  SCHWEITZER,  a  German-American. 
MRS.  SCHWEITZER,  his  wife. 
GROSSMUTTER  SCHWEITZER,  his  mother. 
MRS.   CALKINS   (KATHERINE),  a  feather-weight  pat 
riot. 

MRS.  WICKERSHEIM,  a  heavy-weight  patriot. 

MRS.  SMITH,  a  frenzied  patriot. 

MRS.  DAVIS,      I 

MRS.  BAKER,     /  C°»™»*°«*1  patriots. 

PRESIDENT,  SECRETARY  and  MEMBERS  of  the  Ladies' 
Aid  Society. 

MR.  THORP,  the  minister. 
SERGEANT  MURRY,   )     t  ,/        /• 
OFFICER  GREEN,       }  °f  the  pohce  war 
A  LIBERTY  BOND  SOLICITOR. 

TIME  :     During  the  war. 

PLACE  :     Somewhere  in  the  United  States. 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 
ACT  I. 

Summer  of  1917. 

The  Sunday  school  room  of  a  church.  At  the  right  Is 
a  small  low  platform  upon  which  a  table  and  two  or  three 
chairs  are  placed.  Near  by  is  a  piano.  Facing  the  plat 
form  chairs  are  arranged  in  rows  nearly  filling  the  room. 
On  the  wall  directly  back  of  the  platform  a  large  Amer 
ican  flag  is  draped,  and  on  the  rear -wall  a  service,  flag  of 
broad  dimensions  hangs  conspicuously,' \ Thf  center  tif  the 
service  flag  is  only  partly  covered  with,  .Stars,  a  .blank 
space  at  the  bottom  indicating  tk&i  'the  '•p'oll  *iv>u(>t,  "com 
plete.  Four  or  five  pictures  of  young  men  in  uniform  are 
hanging  on  each  side  of  the  service  flag.  Sunday  school 
charts,  texts,  etc.,  also  adorn  the  walls. 

A  meeting  of  the  Ladies'  Aid  Society  is  about  to  con 
vene.  The  SECRETARY  sits  at  the  farther  end  of  the  table 
writing  and  looking  over  papers.  Through  an  open  door 
leading  from  a  hallway  on  the  left,  women  are  entering. 
Most  of  them  carry  large  creton  knitting  bags.  Some  seat 
themselves  and  take  out  their  knitting,  which  consists  of 
socks,  sweaters,  etc.,  of  khaki  yarn.  Others  stand  or  move 
about  the  room  greeting  each  other.  MRS.  HOLDEN  and 
MRS.  SCHWEITZER,  who  do  not  carry  knitting  bags,  enter 
together,  conversing. 

MRS.  SCHWEITZER  (who  speaks  with  a  German  ac- 
•cent) .  I  do  not  know  how  to  do.  I  do  not  know  how  to 
think.  I  cannot  at  all  think,  for  so  my  throat  catches  me 
if  I  think  (puts  her  hand  to  her  throat  convulsively).  I 
cry  all  of  the  night  through  again  every  night. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  How  soon  does  your  son  go  to  the 
war? 

MRS.  SCHWEITZER.     He  goes  to  the  soldier  camp  al- 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 

ready  next  week.  They  take  him  to  France  across  how 
soon  I  do  not  know.  They  tell  us  nothing.  Every  day 
the  black  terribleness  grows  more. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  Yes,  the  times  are  closing  in  on  us 
like  a  vise 

MRS.  SCHWEITZER.  They  take  from  me  all  what  I 
have  left. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.     Have  you  no  other  children? 

MRS,rScH.WEjTZER.:  Already  in  the  old  country  I 
have  buried  thern,-;-'Tke  last  one  Carl,  my  big  boy — they 
took  him. to.. fhe  army.  'A  bad  year  that  was.  So  many 
with,  the  .ievor  d;ed  by.  the  barracks.  They  sent  his  body 
home.  After  that  I  said  always  to  my  husband,  "Let  us 
go  to  America.  In  America  it  is  not  so  that  they  take 
our  sons  to  the  army."  William  he  was  a  little  boy  still. 
I  thought  to  save  him  from  the  army. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  America,  the  world's  refuge  from 
militarism ! 

MRS.  SCHWEITZER.  And  now  yet  here  in  America 
they  take  him  to  the  army. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  The  democracy  of  the  selective  draft, 
as  our  law  makers  are  pleased  to  call  it.  Does  William 
want  to  go  to  war? 

MRS.  SCHWEITZER.  He  says  nothing.  He  dassent. 
They  would  call  him  "slacker". 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  "Slacker" — that  is  the  catch-word, 
the  psychological  goad  with  which  they  drive  them  as  cattle 
to  the  slaughter. 

MRS.  SCHWEITZER.  To  fight  against  my  own  brud- 
ders'  boys  he  must  go.  Oh  mine  God,  where  is  the  Chris 
tian  of  it?  Where  is  the  Christian  of  it? 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  It  is  the  acme  of  Christian  hypo 
crisy. 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 

MRS.  SCHWEITZER.  They  take  from  us  with  the 
draft  our  sons  away  and  are  not  satisfied  to  do  so  yet 
enough.  They  tell  us  we  must  also  like  to  give  our  sons 
to  the  war. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.     That  is  a  part  of  the  lie  of  war. 

MRS.  SCHWEITZER.  They  say  to  us  who  are  born 
German — although  how  can  we  change  it  that  we  are  so 
born  and  our  mouths  cannot  so  speak  the  language  that 
we  hide  it  what  we  are — they  say  to  us,  "We  let  you  be 
citizens,  we  give  you  the  vote,  the  school  for  your  chil 
dren  to  learn,  so  be  glad;  be  glad  even  if  your  sons  must 
die."  Oh,  I  cannot  bear  it  through.  If  it  so  goes  on  I 
also  must  die  too. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  Patriotism,  which  in  peace  is  pro 
vincialism,  in  war  becomes  stark  madness. 

MRS.  SCHWEITZER.  When  we  with  heart-broke  can 
not  shout  so  loud  to  say,  "Kill  the  kaiser;  crush  the  Ger 
man  people  through,"  they  tell  us,  "You  are  for  the 
Kaiser.  You  want  to  see  the  Germans  come  over  here 
and  kill  us  all." 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  "Pro-German" — that  is  the  bellow 
of  the  bull  herd  against  all  of  us  who  are  not  with  the 
stampede. 

MRS.  SCHWEITZER.     Also,  do  they  call  you  so? 

MRS.  HOLDEN.     Yes,  they  do. 

MRS.  SCHWEITZER.  I  thought  it  was  only  Germans 
that  made  them  so  angry  against  us. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  A  Pacifist  is  even  worse  than  a  Ger 
man. 

MRS.  SCHWEITZER.  Our  neighbors,  many  of  them, 
who  talk  with  us  kindly  always  before,  they  turn  from  us 
now  away  like  we  was  of  poison. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.     They  do  the  same  to  me.     Some  of 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 

my  old  friends  will  not  speak  to  me  when  I  meet  them 
on  the  street. 

MRS.  SCHWEITZER.  They  say  always  for  liberty  we 
fight.  All  say  the  same  words.  My  brudder  long  ago 
writes  from  Germany,  uThe  German  people  fight  for 
liberty.  England  would  destroy  the  German  nation. 
France  and  Russia  attacked  first  against  us.  We  fight 
only  for  defense  of  the  fatherland." 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  It  is  the  same  with  all  nations  in 
war.  All  are  fighting  for  defense,  as  a  consequence  of 
the  fact  that  the  destruction  of  the  other  side  is  the  first 
object  of  each  side. 

MRS.  SCHWEITZER.  And  when  it  is  all  over — what 
then  comes? 

MRS.  HOLDEN.     Victory  knows  no  remorse. 

MRS.  SCHWEITZER.  So  you  do  not  think  it  makes  the 
world  more  free  if  America  and  the  Allies  crush  the  Ger 
mans  out? 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  Peace  without  victory  is  the  world's 
only  chance  for  freedom. 

MRS.  SCHWEITZER.  But  the  nation  says,  uWin  the 
war,"  and  we  are  forced  to  obey  the  nation,  what  it  tells 
us. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  I  refuse  to  obey  the  nation  when  it 
is  wrong. 

MRS.  SCHWEITZER.     What  can  you  else  do? 

MRS.  HOLDEN.     Not  fall  in  line. 

MRS.  SCHWEITZER.     They  will  make  you. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  Who  are  these  invisible,  menacing 
"they"? 

MRS.  SCHWEITZER.     I  don't  know. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  Neither  do  I,  but  whether  they  are 
the  civil  government  or  the  war  department  or  the  steel 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 

trust  or  the  National  Security  League  or  even  the  people, 
I  cannot  be  a  party  to  their  crime. 

MRS.  SCHWEITZER.     Sch!     Someone  might  hear  you. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  My  ancestors  gave  me  the  right 
under  the  constitution  to  speak  my  mind  freely. 

MRS.  SCHWEITZER.     Now  it  is  no  such  right,  is  it? 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  My  thoughts  at  least  can't  be  inter 
fered  with. 

MRS.  SCHWEITZER.  Do  you  not  have  to  think  like 
they  say?  I  dassent  think  unlike  they  say.  But  to  feel, 
that  is  different.  I  cannot  help  it  how  I  feel.  It  is  not 
possible  to  feel  the  happiness  that  they  talk  always  to  me 
about  to  give  my  son  to  the  war.  But  you  have  no  son 
to  be  taken  off.  So  are  you  spared  the  greatest  of  the 
suffering. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  If  I  had  a  son — but  what  is  the  use 
of  imagining?  If  I  had  a  son  he  might  not  agree  with 
me  any  more  than  my  daughter  does. 

MRS.  SCHWEITZER.  We  are  all  so  helpless  as  babies 
before  the  war.  It  makes  no  matter  if  we  agree  or  do 
not  agree,  our  sons  are  taken  off  to  fight. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.     Unless  they  refuse  to  fight. 

MRS.  SCHWEITZER.  Refuse  to  fight?  How  do  you 
mean  refuse  to  fight?  It  is  the  law.  They  draft  them. 
Nobody  can  so  refuse. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  I  know  a  young  man  who  has  re 
fused  the  draft. 

MRS.  SCHWEITZER.     I  do  not  know  how  you  mean. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.     He  declines  to  be  a  conscript  slave. 

MRS.  SCHWEITZER.     What  he  does? 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  He  will  not  take  any  part  in  the  war, 
combative  or  non-combative,  although  he  has  been 
drafted. 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 

MRS.  SCHWEITZER.  Not  to  go  when  they  draft  him? 
They  force  him  to  go. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  Their  force  will  run  up  against  a 
snag  in  his  case. 

MRS.  SCHWEITZER.     What  then  becomes  of  him? 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  I  don't  know.  He  may  be  shot  by 
the  wall.  At  best  he  will  be  court-martialed  and  im 
prisoned. 

MRS.  SCHWEITZER.  How  dares  he  so  to  act  against 
them? 

MRS  HOLDEN.  He  must  be  braver  than  the  bravest 
soldier  ever  was.  To  run  counter  to  current  opinion  and 
the  traditional  standards  of  honor  takes  more  pluck  than 
to  go  to  war  under  the  plaudits  of  the  crowd.  There's 
no  heroism  like  it. 

MRS.  SCHWEITZER.  He  puts  himself  by  yet  more 
danger  than  to  go  to  war.  That  is  not  of  what  they  say 
— common  sense. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  Maybe  so,  but  he  has  a  moral  con 
viction  that  the  war  is  wrong  so  he  can't  take  part  in  it. 
He's  a  Conscientious  Objector. 

MRS.  SCHWEITZER.  I  thought  they  called  them  slack 
ers. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.     They  do. 

MRS.  SCHWEITZER.  And  he  does  not  fear  to  be  so 
called? 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  Not  when  he  draws  the  cord  so 
taut  on  his  side  that  their  epithet  is  belied.  He's  an 
absolutist,  who  not  only  will  not  kill  his  fellowmen  with 
his  own  hands  but  will  not  by  helping  behind  the  lines 
push  others  on  to  kill  and  be  killed. 

MRS.  SCHWEITZER.  I  have  not  before  heard  any  one 
so  speak  as  you  do.  It  is  of  great  courage  surely.  But 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 

William  how  could  he  say  he  would  not  go  to  war  or  I 
say  I  would  not  give  him  up?  Would  they  not  kill  us 
both,  being  German? 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  They  might.  The  course  of  the 
Conscientious  Objector  is  hazardous.  As  a  venture,  I  don't 
advise  any  one  to  try  it. 

MRS.  SCHWEITZER.  And  yet  this  young  man  you 
speak  of,  you  do  not  so  tell  him? 

MRS.  HOLDEN.     He  knows  the  risks  better  than  I. 

MRS.   SCHWEITZER.    Do  you  not  think  he  does  wrong? 

MRS.  HOLDEN.     If  he  is  wrong  so  was  Jesus  Christ. 

MRS.  SCHWEITZER.     You  speak  so  strange. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.     Yes,  it's  a  new  idea  to  most  people. 

MRS.  SCHWEITZER.  If  everybody  thought  and  did 
like  him  all  right,  but  one — 

MRS.  CALKINS  (who  has  been  standing  near,  coming 
forward  and  speaking  with  gushing  cordiality}.  Why, 
how  do  you  do,  Mrs.  Schweitzer.  I'm  so  glad  to  see  you. 
(Shakes  hands  with  her.)  We've  missed  you  at  the  meet 
ings  lately.  (Turns  to  MRS.  HOLDEN  and  shakes  hands.) 
I'm  glad  to  see  you,  too,  Mrs.  Holden,  but  you're  not 
such  a  stranger. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  Yes,  I'm  usually  on  hand  in  case  I'm 
needed  in  my  official  capacity. 

MRS.  CALKINS.  That's  what  I've  always  said  about 
you,  Mrs.  Holden,  and  it  does  seem  too  bad  after  all 
you've  done  for  the  Ladies'  Aid  Society  that  you  should 
be  asked  to — oh,  I  didn't  mean  to  speak  of  it,  but  you  see 
I'm  on  the  loyalty  committee  and  can't  help  knowing  all 
about  it.  (Softly  and  confidentially.)  And  I  want  to  tell 
you  just  between  ourselves  that  you'd  better  use  the  soft 
pedal  a  little  for  they're  awfully  worked  up. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.     They  shall  have  my  resignation  to- 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 

day. 

MRS.  CALKINS.  Now,  for  myself  I  hate  to  see  you 
put  out  even  if  you  are  against  the  war,  but  I  can't  say  a 
word  or  they  might  think  me  disloyal,  too,  and  that  would 
be  awful  for  there  isn't  a  man  or  woman  in  the  whole 
country  more  strong  for  the  war  than  I  am.  That's  why 
I  haven't  been  able  to  stand  up  for  you  to  the  committee 
though  I  am  your  friend.  You  see  how  it  is,  don't  you? 

MRS.  HOLDEN.     Perfectly. 

MRS.  CALKINS.  I'm  so  deeply  patriotic  that  the  war 
is  getting  to  be  my  very  life,  but  I  don't  believe  in  taking 
it  the  way  some  of  the  committee  do.  My  way  would 
be  to  get  all  the  good  out  of  it  and  not  make  so  much 
trouble  about  it. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.     War  is  all  trouble,  my  dear. 

MRS.  CALKINS.  But  why  shouldn't  we  look  on  the 
bright  side  of  it  like  anything  else? 

MRS.  HOLDEN.     Where  is  the  bright  side  of  it? 

MRS.  CALKINS  (pressing  her  hands  together  raptur 
ously}.  It's  so  inspiring  and  unlifting!  You  feel  the  thrill 
of  it,  don't  you,  Mrs.  Schweitzer,  with  your  son  so  soon 
to  be  a  soldier? 

MRS.  SCHWEITZER.  It  is  all  to  me  terrible  and 
strange. 

MRS.  CALKINS.  And  your  William  so  husky  and 
handsome !  You  don't  know  how  my  husband  envies  him 
the  splendid  physical  examination  he  passed.  My  hus 
band  has  weak  lungs  and  can't  pass  at  all.  It's  too  bad, 
for  he's  just  crazy  to  enlist.  I  tell  him  that  it  wouldn't 
really  be  right  for  him  with  a  family  to  risk  his  life  so 
long  as  there  are  unmarried  men  left,  but  I  wouldn't  be 
a  slacker  and  hold  him  back.  It's  only  his  weak  lungs 
that  keeps  him  out. 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 

MRS.  SCHWEITZER.  It  is  to  me  more  to  envy  you, 
even  that  your  husband  has  weak  lungs.  To  mothers  it 
is  not  so  much  pleasure  what  you  think. 

MRS.  CALKINS.  Ah,  but  the  honor  of  it.  Every 
body  adores  the  boys  in  khaki.  They're  the  whole  thing 
now. 

MRS.  SCHWEITZER.  When  your  husband  is  so  safe 
not  to  pass  you  cannot  know  the  pain. 

MRS.  CALKINS.  Yes,  I  can  see  your  point  of  view 
because  I'm  a  mother,  too,  you  know.  But  when  the 
country  needs  our  sons  we  should  give  them  freely  and 
cheerfully.  If  my  son  were  called  to  the  colors  I'd  be 
the  proudest  woman  on  earth. 

MRS.  SCHWEITZER.     How  old  is  your  son? 

MRS.  CALKINS.  He's  just  had  his  third  birthday, 
and  we  got  him  a  little  soldier  cap  for  his  birthday  and 
a  little  gun,  and  he  says,  "To  hell  wif  Kaiser  Bill.  I'll 
soot  him  full  o'  holes."  It's  the  cutest  thing  the  way  he 
says  it  and  points  his  little  gun — just  like  a  real  soldier 
boy.  His  daddy  taught  him. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  Oh,  Katherine,  shame  on  you  using 
your  innocent  baby  that  way.  I  won't  listen  to  your  chat 
ter.  ( Turns  away.} 

MRS.  CALKINS  (testily}.  Now,  Mrs.  Holden,  just 
because  you  used  to  be  my  Sunday  school  teacher  when  I 
was  a  little  girl  maybe  you  think  you  can  say  anything 
you  please  to  me,  but  you  can't.  I  won't  take  it  from  you 
any  more.  You're  the  one  now  that  needs  to  be  taught 
what's  right.  We're  dedicating  our  baby  to  his  country 
in  his  infancy  and  if  you  don't  approve  of  it  we  don't 
care. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  If  it  had  been  his  twenty-first  birth 
day  and  the  soldier  cap  and  the  gun  were  of  a  different 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 

size  and  calibre  your  tone  might  be  different. 

MRS.  CALKINS.  It's  only  because  you're  so  disloyal 
that  it's  almost  a  disgrace  for  anybody  to  be  seen  speak 
ing  to  you  that  you  can't  understand  the  feelings  of  a 
patriotic  mother.  Of  course  I  am  a  little  out  of  it  with 
my  son  too  small  to  give  to  active  service,  but  that  doesn't 
make  me  any  less  willing.  I'm  heart  and  soul  with  all 
the  soldiers.  My  heart  just  pounds  against  my  side  when 
I  watch  them  march  away  under  the  flag.  What  would 
I  do  if  my  own  son,  the  offspring  of  my  own  life,  were 
in  the  line? 

MRS.  SCHWEITZER.     You'd  cry  like  any  other  mother. 

MRS.  CALKINS.  It's  weak  and  cowardly  to  cry.  Only 
the  disloyal  shed  tears.  The  true,  brave  mothers  smile 
and  cheer  when  their  sons  go  by.  I've  seen  them  and 
longed  to  be  one  of  them.  I  tell  you,  you  older  mothers 
have  the  advantage  of  us  young  ones.  You're  furnishing 
the  nation's  man-power. 

MRS.  SCHWEITZER.  I  hope  when  your  son  grows  up 
you  do  not  have  such  advantage  what  you  speak  of. 

MRS.  CALKINS.  What  you  need,  Mrs.  Schweitzer,  is 
a  little  more  Americanism  in  your  heart.  You  should  get 
out  more  among  people  who  would  stimulate  your  loyalty 
and  patriotism.  Then  you'd  become  unselfish  and  be 
glad,  although  you  are  German,  to  give  your  son  even  to 
die  if  necessary  for  the  glorious  country  that  succors  and 
befriends  you. 

MRS.  SCHWEITZER  (in  a  distressed  voice}.  So  all  the 
time  I  hear  glad,  glad.  I  will  have  my  mind  all  gone  if 
they  do  not  stop  this  glad,  glad.  It  is  a  lie. 

MRS.  CALKINS  (apologetically}.  Oh,  I  didn't  mean 
to  hurt  your  feelings.  I'm  sorry,  but,  well — I  know  it's 
true  or  everybody  wouldn't  be  saying  so. 

10 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  You've  been  reading  the  magazines, 
I  see. 

MRS.  CALKINS.  I  read  all  I  have  time  to.  We  have 
to  read  to  keep  up  with  things  when  there's  so  much 
going  on. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  And  you've  been  going  to  the  pic 
ture  shows.  That's  where  you've  seen  the  glad  mothers 
waving  to  their  departing  sons. 

MRS.  CALKINS  (a  little  irritated).  Yes,  and  if  you'd 
go  to  them  and  if  you'd  come  to  church  and  if  you'd 
read  some  of  the  splendid  articles  in  the  Woman's  Home 
Bulletin  you'd  learn  a  lot  of  things  that  you're  very  much 
in  need  of  knowing,  Mrs.  Holden. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  You  know,  Katherine,  I  never  could 
keep  up  with  the  fashions. 

MRS.  CALKINS  (ignoring  MRS.  HOLDEN'S  remark  and 
speaking  benignly  to  MRS.  SCHWEITZER).  Wait  till 
William  actually  gets  started,  Mrs.  Schweitzer.  When 
you're  wearing  your  service  pin  you'll  feel  a  lot  better.  I 
just  know  you  will.  The  service  pins  are  sort  of  a  fra 
ternity  badge  among  us.  They  keep  us  buoyed  up  and 
the  new  ones  are  so  pretty.  See.  (She  shows  her  a 
small  service  pin  on  her  breast.)  I'm  wearing  mine  for 
my  brother-in-law.  He's  in  France  in  the  Y.  M.  C.  A. 
service.  He  wears  a  uniform.  They  say  it's  perfectly 
wonderful  what  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  is  doing  to  safeguard 
the  morals  of  our  boys  over  there.  Mrs.  Briggs  told  us 
all  about  it  at  our  last  meeting.  You  should  have  heard 
her.  It  would  have  been  such  a  comfort  to  you.  You 
heard  her,  didn't  you,  Mrs.  Holden? 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  Yes,  I  heard  her.  I'd  like  to  say 
some  sharp  things,  but  I  wron't. 

MRS.  CALKINS.     About    Mrs.    Briggs?      Why,    you 

11 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 

ought  to  be  ashamed.  Isn't  she  giving  up  everything  and 
even  paying  her  own  expenses  across  just  to  help  the 
boys? — a  woman  in  the  best  society,  too.  We  can't  esti 
mate  the  good  she'll  do. 

MRS.  SCHWEITZER.     What  will  she  do? 

MRS.  CALKINS.  Her  work  will  be  to  make  it  home 
like  for  them  in  the  huts  and  keep  them  cheerful.  That's 
what  they  call  strengthening  the  morale — I  think  that's 
the  word.  Morale — it's  such  a  wonderful  thing.  It's 
what  keeps  them  going  on  and  on  to  victory.  Sometimes 
a  little  pleasure  just  before  a  battle  will  lift  them  out  of 
discouragement  and  make  them  fight  better.  There's  so 
much  Mrs.  Briggs  can  do  in  that  line,  she's  so  talented. 
She  can  sing  and  play  and  she  knows  all  the  new  dances. 

MRS.  HOLDEN  (putting  her  arm  through  MRS.  CAL 
KIN'S  arm).  Perhaps  another  year  will  make  you  take 
the  war  more  seriously,  Katherine. 

MRS.  CALKINS.  Take  it  more  seriously;  what  do 
you  mean?  It's  the  most  serious  thing  in  my  life.  Why, 
I  would  give  my  all  to  make  the  world  safe  for  dem 
ocracy. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  The  new  phrases,  like  the  new  ser 
vice  pins,  are  very  pretty,  aren't  they? 

MRS.  CALKINS,  (turning  her  back  to  MRS.  HOLDEN 
and  speaking  with  frivolous  enthusiasm).  Mrs.  Schweit 
zer,  as  soon  as  you  get  William's  picture  in  uniform  you 
must  give  me  one  for  the  Ladies'  Aid  war  gallery.  Did 
you  hear  about  our  plan? 

MRS.  SCHWEITZER.  William  spoke  already  yesterday 
that  he  would  get  his  picture  taken.  So  they  all  have 
pictures,  and  then  sometime  we  have  only  the  picture  in 
our  hands.  They  even  do  not  know  what  it  means. 

MRS.   CALKINS.     We're  going  to   frame   all  the  pic- 

12 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 

tures  of  our  honor  roll  boys  and  hang  them  around  the 
service  flag.  We've  already  got  Ernest  McConnell  and 
the  Smith  boys  and  a  few  others.  (Points  to  the  service 
flag.)  See?  Although  it  looks  a  little  bare  now,  there'll 
be  a  lot  of  stars  in  it  by  the  time  we  have  the  bazaar. 
We  must  make  a  good  showing  for  our  church  then. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  Are  the  churches  in  a  race  for  stars 
in  the  service  flag? 

MRS.  CALKINS.  No,  not  exactly  that,  but  we  can't 
afford  to  be  behind  the  other  churches  in  patriotism,  (sig 
nificantly)  especially  since  certain  people  have  caused  us 
to  be  suspected  of  disloyalty. 

MRS.  HOLDEN  (meditatively).  I  wonder  if  there 
will  be  a  race,  too,  for  gold  stars  in  the  service  flag. 

MRS.  CALKINS  (sharply).  Of  course  we  don't  want 
to  have  anybody  killed,  and  that's  just  why  we  must  en 
courage  them  to  be  heroes  and  win  the  war  and  not  get 
killed.  That's  woman's  part. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  And  woman  seems  to  be  doing  her 
part  most  assiduously. 

MRS.  CALKINS.     Well,  I  love  to  feel  that  I — 

The  PRESIDENT  of  the  Ladies'  Aid  Society,  who  has 
taken  her  place  at  the  table,  raps  with  her  gavel.  MRS. 
HOLDEN  and  MRS.  SCHWEITZER  take  seats  in  the  last 
row  of  chairs.  MRS.  CALKINS  joins  a  group  farther  for 
ward. 

PRESIDENT.  The  meeting  will  please  come  to  order. 
(Pauses  a  few  moments  while  the  last  stragglers  settle 
down.)  The  Secretary  will  read  the  minutes  of  the  last 
meeting. 

SECRETARY  (rising  and  reading  from  the  minute 
book).  The  regular  meeting  of  the  Ladies'  Aid  Society 
was  called  to  order  by  the  President  in  the  Sunday  school 

13 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 

room  of  the  church  at  three  o'clock  on  Friday  afternoon 
as  usual.  The  minutes  of  the  previous  meeting  were  read 
and  approved.  After  the  reading  of  the  minutes  the 
President  called  for  reports  of  committees.  Mrs.  Davis, 
chairman  of  the  committee  on  arrangements  for  the  fall 
bazaar,  reported  that  their  work  was  progressing  nicely. 
A  detailed  statement  of  plans  was  submitted  and  freely 
discussed,  after  which  it  was  moved,  seconded  and  car 
ried  that  the  report  of  the  committee  be  accepted.  Pro 
ceeding  to  new  business,  it  was  moved  and  seconded  that 
a  committee  of  five  be  appointed  to  investigate  certain 
rumors  of  disloyalty  among  our  members  and  to  co-oper 
ate  with  the  local  Council  of  Defense  in  enforcing  loyalty 
in  the  community.  Motion  carried.  There  being  no 
further  business,  by  unanimous  vote  the  meeting  was 
turned  over  to  our  former  president,  Mrs.  Martin  Briggs, 
who  is  soon  leaving  her  home  for  a  greater  field  of  lov 
ing  service  in  the  overseas  work  of  the  Y.  M.  C.  A. 
After  a  most  inspiring  address  from  Mrs.  Briggs  the 
meeting  adjourned. 

PRESIDENT.,  If  there  are  no  additions  or  corrections 
the  minutes  stand  approved  as  read.  (Pauses  a  moment.) 
What  is  the  first  business  to  come  before  the  meeting? 
Madam  Secretary,  are  there  any  communications  to  be 
read? 

SECRETARY.     Nothing  today. 

PRESIDENT.  Then  we  will  proceed  with  the  reports 
of  committees.  Mrs.  Davis,  will  you  report  the  prog 
ress  of  the  committee  on  arrangements  for  the  bazaar. 

MRS.  DAVIS  (rising).  Madam  President,  I  think 
there  is  nothing  new  since  our  last  meeting.  We  are  still 
busy  soliciting  salable  articles  and  are  quite  encouraged 
with  the  response  we  are  receiving.  I  have  no  formal 

14 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 

report  to  make,  but  I  would  like  to  suggest  that  since  the 
proceeds  of  this  year's  bazaar  are  to  be  used  for  the  most 
part  in  war  work  that  we  accentuate  the  note  of  patriot 
ism  all  through.  In  making  articles  for  sale  use  the  na 
tional  colors  wherever  possible.  Also,  remember  the  spe 
cial  little  comforts  that  mothers  and  sweethearts  would 
like  to  send  to  their  dear  ones  overseas  or  in  camp,  and 
the  soldier  emblems  that  can  be  so  daintily  worked  in  on 
banners,  bags,  soft  pillows  and  other  things.  Patriotism 
lends  itself  so  well  to  artistic  decoration,  and  the  war 
theme  should  be  carried  out  in  everything.  In  this  way 
our  bazaar  will  not  only  bring  in  greater  returns  finan 
cially,  but  we  will  also  be  rendering  aid  to  our  soldiers 
and  sailors  at  the  front  in  a  sort  of  intimate  and  personal 
way  as  only  women  can. 

PRESIDENT.  This  is  an  excellent  and  timely  sugges 
tion  which  I  am  sure  you  will  all  bear  in  mind.  Since 
it  is  not  presented  as  a  motion  or  a  formal  report  I  think 
no  action  need  be  taken.  Has  the  committee  on  Red 
Cross  organization  anything  to  report? 

MRS.  BAKER  (rising).  Madam  President,  I  am 
happy  to  report  that  we  have  completed  the  organization 
of  our  Red  Cross  auxiliary  and  are  now  working  under 
the  direction  of  the  central  office.  There  is  to  be  an  all 
day  knitting  circle  in  this  room  on  Tuesday.  All  the 
ladies  of  the  church  are  urged  to  be  present,  as  we  will 
have  with  us  a  knitting  instructor  from  headquarters  to 
help  those  not  yet  proficient  in  the  art  of  knitting.  Knit 
ting  is  new  to  many  of  us.  I  know  it  is  to  me.  America 
has  never  before  been  a  nation  of  knitting  women,  but 
we  all  know  that  American  women  are  capable  of  any 
thing  required  of  them  in  an  emergency.  I  am  sure  that 
none  of  us  wants  to  be  slipshod  or  lax  in  fulfilling  this 

15 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 

duty  of  women  in  war  time.  The  war,  at  least  our  coun 
try  s  part  in  the  war,  is  only  in  its  beginning.  We  do  not 
know  how  long  we  shall  be  asked  to  knit  for  our  soldiers, 
but  whether  it  is  a  long  period  or  a  short  period  we  want 
to  do  our  work  well.  I  have  nothing  more  to  report  ex 
cept  that  the  ladies  are  taking  hold  of  the  Red  Cross 
work  with  earnestness  and  enthusiasm,  and  I  think  we 
will  not  fail  to  turn  out  our  quota  of  bandages,  socks, 
sweaters  and  everything  else  that  we  are  instructed  to 
make  from  week  to  week. 

PRESIDENT.  What  is  the  pleasure  of  the  meeting  in 
regard  to  this  report? 

A  WOMAN.     I  move  that  it  be  accepted. 

ANOTHER  WOMAN.     I  second  the  motion. 

PRESIDENT.  It  has  been  moved  and  seconded  that 
the  report  of  the  Red  Cross  organization  committee  be 
accepted.  Are  there  any  remarks?  (Waits  a  minute.) 
All  in  favor  of  the  motion  signify  by  saying  "Aye." 

VOICES.     Aye!     Aye! 

PRESIDENT.  Contrary,  "No."  (Silence.)  The  mo- 
tion  is  carried.  The  next  to  be  heard  from  is,  I  believe, 
the  loyalty  committee.  Mrs.  Wickersheim,  I  know  that 
you  have  matters  of  vital  importance  to  bring  before  us 
this  afternoon,  so  I  will  ask  you  to  step  forward  and 
come  upon  the  platform  that  all  may  hear  and  under 
stand. 

MRS.  WICKERSHAM  (comes  to  platform  and  stands  at 
left  of  PRESIDENT).  Madam  President,  fellow-members 
of  the  Ladies'  Aid  Society,  yes  it  is  true  that  I  have  vital 
matters — most  vital  matters — to  lay  before  you  this  after 
noon.  It  is  a  hard  task  that  has  been  put  upon  my 
shoulders,  a  task  that  has  caused  me  nights  without  sleep 
and  days  of  mental  anguish,  a  task  which  we  of  the 

16 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 

loyalty  committee  have  begun,  but  which  you,  all  of  you, 
will  have  to  carry  forward  with  unceasing  vigilance. 
When  I  accepted  the  office  of  chairman  of  this  committee 
I  did  not  realize  the  seriousness  of  the  situation  that  was 
•to  confront  me.  I  rather  scoffed  at  the  idea  of  even  a 
shadow  of  disloyalty  existing  among  women  acknowledg 
ing  Christ  as  their  savior  and  banded  together  to  serve 
God  and  country.  That  a  body  of  women  within  the 
fold  of  a  great  Christian  church  could  in  any  part  be 
infected  with  the  proud  flesh  and  stenching  decay  of  trea 
son  against  the  government  which  God  in  his  gracious 
mercy  has  vouchsafed  to  us  and  established  over  us  by 
his  divine  will  seemed  to  me  impossible.  And  yet  such 
is  the  case,  ladies,  such  is  the  condition  right  here  in  this 
church,  in  this  Ladies'  Aid  Society,  (with  'increasing 
vehemence)  yea,  in  this  very  room  where  we  are  gathered 
together  today.  We  are  nursing  in  our  bosom  the  poison 
ous  viper  of  sedition  which  if  we  do  not  trample  under 
foot  before  another  sun  goes  down  may  spread  its  filthy 
slime  over  us  and  render  us  powerless  in  our  country's 
hour  of  need.  (Pause*  for  emphasis  and  breath.)  But 
I  am  speaking  too  much  in  figures.  I  must  present  naked 
facts  to  you.  One  or  more  of  our  committee  has  visited 
the  home  of  every  member  of  this  society  and  as  a  result 
of  our  investigation  we  have  compiled  a  list  of  members 
classifying  them  as  loyal,  doubtful  and  proved  disloyal. 
I  am  glad  to  say  that  our  loyal  column  is  a  long  one,  our 
doubtful  column  fairly  short  and  our  proved  disloyal  col 
umn  contains  but  one  name  at  present.  It  would  seem 
from  such  a  report  that  no  grave  danger  threatened  us 
and  I  would  not  feel  apprehensive  for  our  safety  if  it 
were  not  for  the  fact  that  this  name  is  one  which  in  the 
past  has  carried  influence  in  the  church,  a  name  which 

17 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 

even  now  is  conspicuous  on  our  official  letterheads, 
(speaking  louder)  the  name  of  an  officer  in  our  Ladies' 
Aid  Society.  For  this  reason  shame  and  ignominy  are 
cast  upon  us  all.  When  we  called  upon  this  woman  at 
her  home  we  did  not  find  the  hallowed  flag  of  our  coun 
try  anywhere  in  evidence.  The  remarks  she  made  when 
questioned  on  the  subject  of  the  war  reeked  with  sedition 
amounting  to  anarchy.  She  had  the  boldness  to  say  that 
she  was  a  Pacifist,  an  internationalist  to  whom  one  coun 
try  was  the  same  as  another;  that  she  swore  allegiance 
to  no  flag;  that  Germans,  Russians,  Belgians,  English, 
French,  Austrians,  Irish,  Hindus,  Chinese,  Mexicans,  Jap 
anese — oh,  I  don't  remember  all  she  named — were  just 
as  much  her  countrymen  as  Americans  were.  She  didn't 
stop  with  our  Allies  whom  she  might  have  the  right  to 
include  to  a  certain  extent.  She  even  began  with  the  Ger 
mans  and  said  defiantly  that  they  were  no  more  to 
blame  for  the  war  than  other  nations  were.  She  feels 
no  sense  of  duty  to  her  country  in  distress.  Ladies,  can 
we  afford  to  jeopardize  our  good  name  by  allowing  this 
insidious  enemy  to  remain  among  us?  Can  we  who  have 
so  devotedly  taken  up  the  service  of  our  beloved  country 
risk  the  danger  of  sheltering  a  Pacifist  in  our  midst? 
Ladies,  I  tell  you  that  until  we  purge  our  organization 
of  every  suspicion  of  disloyalty  no  one  of  us  is  safe.  Our 
boys  are  even  now  on  their  way  to  the  trenches.  Shall 
we  further  endanger  their  safety  by  slackness  in  vigilance 
at  home?  Remember,  ladies,  the  lives  of  our  own  sons 
are  at  stake,  our  homes  and  our  firesides  are  at  stake,  the 
honor  of  our  women  is  at  stake,  our  national  existence  is 
at  stake.  If  the  Germans  win  in  France  next  they  will 
conquer  England  and  then  they  will  come  over  here.  We 
know  how  the  Beast  of  Berlin  has  planned  the  conquest 

18 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 

of  the  world.  It  has  all  been  exposed  by  our  wide-awake 
press.  We  are  asleep  if  we  do  not  know  the  danger.  It 
is  only  a  short  distance  from  England  to  our  shores. 
Shall  we  submit  to  the  violation  of  our  sacred  soil,  to 
the  destruction  of  our  property,  to  the  mutilation  of  our 
children,  to  the  raping  of  our  women?  No.  (Pounds 
on  the  table  excitedly.}  It  is  our  Christian  duty  to  ex 
terminate  the  diabolical  race  of  Huns  from  the  face  of 
God's  earth.  Christianity  and  civilization  must  triumph 
over  heathenism  and  barbarism.  There  is  only  one  thing 
in  the  world  that  matters  today,  and  that  is  for  the  Allies 
to  win  the  war.  My  husband  has  just  been  to  Can 
ada.  There  he  met  a  man  who  knew  a  woman  who  sent 
for  two  Belgian  children  to  adopt  and  when  they  were 
brought  to  her  she  found  that  they  were  without  hands. 
(Melodramatically.}  Oh,  mothers,  can  you  bear  to 
think  of  it — their  little,  tender  hands  had  been  cut  off 
by  the  German  soldiers!  I  cannot  look  upon  a  baby's 
hands  without  calling  for  the  vengeance  of  God  upon 
these  fiends  of  hell  in  the  guise  of  men.  Also,  a  friend 
of  mine  has  a  friend  in  England  whose  son  was  taken 
prisoner  by  the  Germans.  In  some  way  he  succeeded  in 
sending  his  watch  to  his  mother.  She  took  it  to  the 
jeweler  and  when  he  opened  it  he  found  a  tiny  folded 
paper  hidden  in  the  works,  which  he  extricated  and  gave 
to  the  mother.  She  unfolded  it  very  carefully  and  found 
this  message  written  in  blood,  "Dear  Mother,  I  can  never 
speak  to  you  again  even  if  I  am  spared  to  come  home. 
They  have  cut  out  my  tongue."  Oh,  I  cannot  repeat  all 
that  I  know  of  the  atrocities  committed  by  these  creatures 
lower  than  the  beasts  of  the  jungle.  There  are  things 
too  shameful  to  be  spoken  of  in  public.  And  yet  skulking 
Pacifists  walk  among  us  harping  on  the  commandment, 

19 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 

"Thou  shalt  not  kill."  We  all  know  that  this  command 
ment  applies  only  to  men,  and  that  the  Germans  have 
ceased  to  be  men.  The  scriptures  do  not  forbid  us  to 
kill  the  poisonous  rattlesnake  or  to  destroy  the  wolf  that 
is  devouring  the  lamb.  Oh  that  I  were  a  man  and  young 
that  I  might  take  a  gun  in  my  own  hands !  Waste  no 
pity  on  these  bloodthirsty  beasts,  the  Huns.  Give  them 
some  of  their  own  medicine.  God  is  on  our  side.  God 
has  given  us  our  red  blooded  fighting  men  and  God  com 
mands  us  who  cannot  bear  arms  ourselves  to  get  behind 
them.  I  cannot  say  more.  My  emotions  are  beginning 
to  overpower  me.  I  have  made  my  report  that  there  are 
doubtful  and  disloyal  members  in  our  Ladies'  Aid  Society, 
that  one  of  our  very  officers  is  seeking  to  betray  us.  I 
have  warned  you  of  the  dangers  involved.  It  is  for  you 
to  act — firmly,  fearlessly  and  at  once.  (Steps  from  the 
platform  and  sits  down  panting  in  a  chair  in  the  front 
row.} 

PRESIDENT.  You  have  heard  this  most  startling  re 
port.  What  will  you  do  about  it? 

MRS.  SMITH  (rising  quickly).  I  should  think  every 
body  in  this  church  would  know  what  to  do  with  Pacifists. 
What  does  Billy  Sunday  say?  "Hang  them  to  the  lamp 
posts."  That's  what  I  say,  too. 

MRS.  BAKER  (rising  and  speaking  with  dignity). 
Madam  President,  in  order  to  bring  the  question  before 
the  meeting  for  quiet  and  orderly  discussion,  I  move  that 
the  report  of  the  loyalty  committee  be  accepted  and  that 
any  member  of  our  society  who  is  proved  disloyal  be 
dropped  from  the  membership  roll. 

A  WOMAN.     I  second  the  motion. 

PRESIDENT.  You  have  heard  the  motion.  Are  there 
any  remarks? 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 

MRS.  McCoNNELL  (rising).  Madam  President,  I 
think  that  the  chairman  of  the  loyalty  committee  is  un 
necessarily  alarmed  about  this  matter  of  disloyalty.  Is  it 
not  a  part  of  our  duty  as  material  and  moral  supporters 
of  the  war  to  be  forebearing  in  our  dealings  with  those 
who  do  not  see  things  as  we  do?  Will  the  dropping  of 
members  from  an  organization  of  this  kind  engender 
loyalty  in  the  hearts  of  those  so  dealt  with  or  aid  the 
cause  of  democracy  in  any  way?  Free  speech  is  the 
foundation  stone  of  our  government;  tolerance  has  al 
ways  been  the  pride  of  our  republic.  To  curtail  in  any 
way  the  expression  of  honest  opinion  is  un-American.  I 
was  opposed  to  the  entrance  of  our  country  into  the  war, 
but  I  have  been  convinced  by  President  Wilson's  wonder 
ful  words  that  it  has  become  necessary  for  us  to  take  part 
in  international  affairs  even  to  the  extent  of  fighting  in 
the  most  fearful  war  that  has  ever  been  waged  in  the 
history  of  mankind.  (Speaking  very  earnestly.)  The 
ideal  of  a  united  world  makes  it  impossible  for  us  to 
stay  out  of  the  actual  conflict  any  longer.  We  are  taking 
up  arms  in  defense  of  justice  and  truth.  We  are  fighting 
not  for  any  selfish  national  ends  but  for  the  whole  of 
humanity.  We  have  undertaken  a  war  to  end  war  for 
all  time.  Let  us  prove  to  the  world  that  our  motives 
are  pure;  that  we  hate  no  people;  that  we  accept  the 
method  of  the  sword  only  because  under  the  circum 
stances  it  is  not  given  us  to  choose  our  method.  The 
world  is  in  arms  and  we  have  no  alternative  but  to  fight 
on  the  side  which  we  believe  to  be  right.  Let  us  not 
talk  about  crushing  the  Germans.  It  cannot  be  our  desire 
to  crush  any  people.  We  are  in  a  life  and  death  struggle 
for  the  sole  purpose  of  establishing  peace,  the  peace  of 
justice,  hope  and  love,  the  peace  that  passeth  understand- 

21 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 

ing,  which  may  not  come  in  our  time,  but  which  if  we 
fight  the  battle  rightly  will  be  the  heritage  of  our  chil 
dren.  Let  us  not  fire  our  hearts  and  the  hearts  of  our 
neighbors  with  stories  of  atrocities.  Atrocities  are  the 
hideous  part  of  all  wars,  committed  on  all  sides  by  the 
ignorant  and  brutal.  These  stones  which  have  been  told 
here  today  are  the  same  stories  which  are  always  current 
during  war.  Each  nation  tells  them  about  the  enemy 
nation  in  every  war,  in  every  language  from  generation 
to  generation.  They  are  established  traditions,  perhaps 
established  practices  of  all  wars,  by  no  means  exclusively 
German.  The  war  is  frightful,  horrible,  incomprehensi 
ble.  President  Wilson's  ideals  alone  redeem  it.  Let  us 
not  swerve  one  moment  from  these  ideals.  We  will  fail 
even  in  victory  if  we  do  not  hold  always  before  us  the 
lighted  torch  of  the  brotherhood  of  man. 

MRS.  WICKERSHEIM  (jumps  to  her  feet  and  speaks 
angrily).  Ladies,  I  have  told  you  that  we  have  on  our 
list  members  marked  doubtful.  Are  you  aware  that  it 
has  just  been  intimated  that  American  soldiers  are  capa 
ble  of  committing  atrocities?  Will  you  accept  this  insult 
to  our  brave  boys  who  are  making  the  supreme 
sacrifice  that  we  may  be  spared? 

MRS.  SMITH  (hissing).  Any  one  who  says  such 
things  ought  to  be  strung  up.  That's  what  I  say. 

MRS.  BAKER.     I  call  for  the  question. 

PRESIDENT.  All  those  in  favor  of  the  motion  please 
signify  by  saying  "Aye." 

SEVERAL  VOICES.    Aye.     (Many  do  not  vote.) 

PRESIDENT.     Contrary,  "No." 

MRS.   McCoNNELL    (alone).     No. 

PRESIDENT.  The  motion  is  carried.  What  is  the  next 
business  to  come  before  the  meeting. 

22 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 

MRS.  HOLDEN  (comes  forward  and  hands  an  envelope 
to  the  PRESIDENT).  Madam  President,  I  hereby  hand 
in  my  resignation  as  vice-president  of  the  Ladies'  Aid 
Society.  If  it  is  in  order,  I  move  that  it  be  accepted. 
(Returns  to  her  seat.} 

MRS.  WICKERSHEIM  (again  jumping  up).  Ladies, 
this  is  a  trick.  Can't  you  see  through  it?  This 
woman  is  trying  to  resign  her  official  position  and  with 
draw  from  the  society  without  being  noticed.  But  she 
knows  that  she's  the  very  one  that  I've  been  telling  you 
about  and  that  she  can't  resign  because  she's  already  been 
dismissed.  In  trying  to  spare  her  feelings  by  refraining 
from  mentioning  her  name  I  have  only  given  her  a 
chance  to  hoodwink  you.  Will  you  permit  it?  This 
woman  should  be  driven  out  with  open  rebuke.  I  should 
not  have  been  so  easy  and  simple  as  to  try  to  shield  her. 
She  must  be  taught  a  lesson  at  our  hands  and  the  public 
must  know  that  we  have  purged  our  organization.  I  tell 
you,  ladies,  we  must  act  without  delay  for  she  and  her 
questionable  friends  are  trying  to  foist  upon  an  unsuspect 
ing —  (Her  remarks  are  cut  short  by  the  blowing  of  a 
loud  whistle  without.  She  sits  down.) 

PRESIDENT  (speaking  in  a  loud  voice  to  be  heard 
above  the  noise).  The  Times  whistle!  You  know  it  was 
to  blow  at  four  o'clock  this  afternoon  as  a  call  to  prayer 
for  victory.  Let  us  bow  our  heads  in  silent  prayer. 
(Whistle  blows  for  a  few  minutes  while  all  are  silent.) 
And  now  before  our  minds  are  turned  again  to  secular 
matters  let  us  rise  and  salute  the  flag  of  our  precious 
country. 

(Several  women  are  on  their  feet  at  once,  particularly 
MRS.  WICKERSHEIM  and  MRS.  SMITH.  Others  follow, 
some  hesitate,  but  finally  all  have  risen  except  MRS. 

23 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 

HOLDEN  and  MRS.  SCHWEITZER  in  the  rear  seats.) 

WOMEN  (standing  at  "attention"  right  hand  at 
brow).  "I  pledge  allegiance  to  the  flag  and  to  the  re 
public  for  which  it  stands,  one  nation  indivisible  with 
liberty  and  justice  for  all."  (All  sit  down  except 
MRS.  WICKERSHEIM,  who  stands  holding  out  both  arms 
toward  the  flag.) 

MRS.  WICKERSHEIM  (in  sentimental  tones).  My 
flag,  your  flag,  our  flag! 

(Confusion  is  beginning  to  arise.  Women  whisper 
and  turn  to  look  at  MRS.  HOLDEN  and  MRS.  SCHWEIT 
ZER.) 

PRESIDENT  (greatly  disturbed).  Let  us  sing  a  hymn. 
Music  will  perhaps  calm  us.  Mrs.  McConnell,  will  you 
go  to  the  piano  and  start  us  on  a  hymn? 

MRS.  McCoNNELL  (goes  to  the  piano).  Shall  we 
sing  number  458?  I  think  that  is  an  appropriate  hymn 
at  this  time.  (Begins  to  play  "Jesus,  I  My  Cross  Have 
Taken."  Women  rise  with  hymn  books  in  hand.) 

WOMEN  (singing).  "Jesus,  I  my  cross  have  taken, 
All  to  leave  and  follow  thee, 
Destitute,  despised,  forsaken, 
Thou  from  hence  my  all  shalt  be." 

MRS.  WICKERSHEIM  (shouting  passionately  as  MRS. 
McCoNNELL  plays  the  interlude).  I  can't  let  this  go  on 
any  longer.  This  is  too  much.  (MRS.  McCoNNELL 
stops  playing  and  turns  around  in  astonishment.)  This 
is  the  last  straw.  My  heart  is  on  fire.  In  this  room,  in 
this  Sunday  school  room  where  our  boys  have  met  to  say 
their  last  prayers  before  going  forth  to  lay  their  young 
lives  upon  the  altar  of  freedom;  in  this  room  where  our 
children  are  taught  the  sacred  hymns  of  patriotism,  a 
traitor,  a  German  spy  comes  forward  and  brazenly  plays 

24 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 

on  our  piano,  "Deutschland  uber  Alles." 

MRS.  SMITH  (shouting).  The  room  is  full  of  spies 
and  traitors.  I  say  kick  them  out. 

(Excitement  is  evident  in  the  audience.  Women  are 
whispering  audibly  and  some  nod  approval  at  MRS. 
SMITH'S  words.) 

PRESIDENT  (very  much  agitated).  I  don't  understand 
you,  Mrs  Wickersheim. 

MRS.  WICKERSHEIM.  Don't  you  know  the  tune  of 
uDeutschland  uber  Alles"  when  you  hear  it  played  right 
in  front  of  you  ?  I  do.  We  used  to  have  it  on  the 
phonograph  before  the  war. 

PRESIDENT.  Mrs.  McConnell,  did  you  know  that 
was  "Deutschland  uber  Alles"  when  you  chose  it? 

MRS.  McCoNNELL  (calmly).  Mrs.  Wickersheim  is 
mistaken.  This  is  not  the  melody  of  "Deutschland  uber 
Alles."  That  is  a  Haydn  melody.  This  is  from  Mozart. 

MRS.  WICKERSHEIM.  Well,  isn't  it  German,  just 
the  same? 

MRS.  SMITH.  Haven't  we  got  any  American  tunes  in 
the  book,  I'd  like  to  know? 

MRS.  WICKERSHEIM.  It's  time  for  Christian  Amer 
icans  to  purge  their  hymn  books. 

MRS.  SMITH.  Yes,  if  we  can't  find  any  American 
tunes  in  the  book  we'd  better  quit  singing,  I  should  say. 

MRS.  WICKERSHEIM.  There  is  no  more  subtle  means 
of  German  propaganda  than  German  music.  Our  school 
board  has  ordered  that  all  songs  with  German  tunes  be 
torn  from  the  song  books  of  the  public  schools.  Loyal 
citizens  everywhere  are  taking  a  stand  against  German 
music.  I  read  in  the  Times  only  yesterday  how  two 
business  men  left  the  dining  room  of  one  of  our  largest 
hotels  because  the  orchestra  played  a  German  piece. 

25 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 

That's  the  only  way  to  act.  How  can  anybody  with  any 
feeling  at  all  endure  anything  that  comes  from  those 
bloody  Huns?  In  our  house  we  have  smashed  every 
German  phonograph  record  we  had. 

MRS.  SMITH.  I  say  put  her  out — that  German  spy 
there!  (Points  her  finger  menacingly  at  MRS.  McCoN- 

NELL.) 

MRS.  McCoNNELL  (amazed).  Why  am  I  so  at 
tacked?  I  have  a  son  in  the  service,  a  volunteer,  already 
in  France.  You  all  know  that  I  am  supporting  the  war 
with  all  my  heart.  Mrs.  Calkins,  wasn't  my  son's  star 
the  first  one  in  the  service  flag? 

MRS.  CALKINS  (rising).  Yes,  Ernest  McConnell  was 
the  first  hero  whose  picture  we  framed  for  our  war  gal 
lery.  I  don't  see  how  his  mother  could  be  a  German  spy. 

MRS.  McCoNNELL  (distressed).  I  have  given  my 
son — that  is  so  far  as  another  life  is  mine  to  give — to 
fight  for  the  ideals  which  he  and  I  believe  in.  What 
more  could  I  do  to  prove  my  loyalty? 

MRS.  WICKERSHEIM  (spitefully).  What  about  your 
other  son,  the  Socialist? 

MRS.  SMITH.  Yes,  I  should  say.  What  about  him, 
the  skunk? 

MRS.  WICKERSHEIM.  You  may  have  a  son  in  the 
war,  but  aren't  you  the  mother  of  a  slacker,  too,  a  spine 
less  jellyfish  who  has  publicly  refused  to  defend  his  coun 
try's  flag,  a  coward  who's  afraid  to  fight,  who's  willing 
to  endanger  the  whole  nation  to  save  his  own  skin?  What 
have  you  to  say  for  yourself  about  him? 

MRS.  McCoNNELL  (deeply  stung).  I  am  not  his 
keeper.  He  is  a  grown  man.  I  can't  dictate  to  him  as 
if  he  were  a  child.  If  he  is  a  Conscientious  Objector,  it 
is  his  conscience  not  mine  that  guides  him.  But  you  have 

26 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 

no  right  to  call  him  a  coward.  He  opposes  the  war  on 
moral  grounds,  as  his  brother  and  I  support  it  on  moral 
grounds,  and  in  taking  his  stand  he  is  risking  his  life  as 
much  as  his  brother  is  in  going  to  war.  Don't  you  think 
that  I  am  torn  as  no  other  mother  here  is  torn  with 
anguish  over  the  demands  of  the  war  and  the  conflict  of 
ideas  within  my  own  family? 

MRS.  BAKER  (rising  and  speaking  quietly}.  Madam 
President,  I  have  remained  silent  for  fear  of  adding  more 
fuel  to  the  flames,  but  now  I  feel  that  I  must  rise  to  a 
point  of  justice  as  well  as  order.  How  can  any  one  doubt 
the  loyalty  of  Mrs.  McConnell  after  the  statements  she 
has  made  and  the  sentiments  she  has  expressed?  Have 
the  women  forgotten  that  we  are  in  the  house  of  God? 
Personal  abuse  must  cease.  We  are  meeting  today  to 
discuss  important  matters  of  business.  A  motion  is  be 
fore  the  house — that  is  a  motion  has  been  made  by  Mrs. 
Holden  that  her  resignation  as  vice-president  be  accepted. 
I  second  that  motion  and  call  for  a  discussion  of  the 
question. 

MRS.  DAVIS  (rising).  Madam  President,  I  thought 
it  was  understood  that  her  resignation  was  superfluous  as 
the  previous  motion  dropped  her  from  membership.  I 
call  for  a  ruling  by  the  chair. 

PRESIDENT  (noticeably  confused).  I  really  don't  know. 
Mrs.  Baker,  you  are  our  parliamentarian,  can't  you  put 
us  right  on  this  point? 

MRS.  BAKER  (rising).  Madam  President,  since  Mrs. 
Holden's  name  was  not  mentioned  in  the  report  of  the 
chairman  of  the  loyalty  committee,  it  was  not  necessarily 
understood  at  the  time  the  motion  referred  to  was  carried 
nor  at  the  time  Mrs.  Holden  handed  in  her  resignation 
that  the  motion  applied  to  her.  In  fact  at  no  time  has 

27 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 

her  name  been  formally  presented  as  one  to  be  dropped 
from  the  membership  roll.  Therefore  it  seems  to  me 
quite  in  order  to  vote  on  her  resignation  as  vice-president. 
Some  definite  action  in  regard  to  her  should  go  on  record 
in  the  minutes  of  this  meeting,  since  she  has  proved  by 
her  refusal  to  salute  the  flag  that  she  is  not  a  loyal  citizen 
of  the  country  that  gave  her  birth,  as  her  companion  is 
not  a  loyal  citizen  of  the  country  that  has  adopted  her. 
But  this  must  be  carried  through  quietly  and  in  order 
without  any  more  excitement  and  sensationalism.  We 
are  Christian  women,  American  mothers,  and  as  such  we 
are  surely  capable  of  governing  our  own  minds  and  curb 
ing  our  speech  even  though  things  have  happened  in  this 
meeting  which  are  a  direct  insult  to  all  that  we  hold  most 
sacred. 

MRS.  WICKERSHEIM  (turning  to  MRS.  BAKER).  Do 
you  mean  to  say  that  there  are  people  in  this  room  who 
did  not  salute  the  flag? 

MRS.  SMITH.  Yes,  didn't  you  see  them?  I  saw  them. 
There  they  are.  (Points  to  MRS.  HOLDEN  and  MRS. 
SCHWEITZER.)  I  saw  them. 

MRS.  WICKERSHEIM.  Do  you  suppose  that  as  chair 
man  of  the  loyalty  committee  I  would  have  overlooked 
such  an  act  of  treason  if  I  had  seen  it?  Why  didn't  the 
President  order  them  from  the  room? 

PRESIDENT.     I  didn't  know  what  action  to — 

VOICES.     Pro-Germans !     Pacifists ! 

MRS.  SMITH.  Kick  them  out.  (Shouting  abandon- 
edly)  I  say  kick  them  out! 

A  WOMAN.     I  say  so,  too ! 

(Women  are  rising  in  different  parts  of  the  room,  mut 
tering  and  looking  threateningly  at  MRS.  HOLDEN  and 
MRS.  SCHWEITZER.) 

28 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 

PRESIDENT  (rapping  nervously  with  her  gavel).  Arc 
you  ready  for  the  question? 

MRS.  BAKER.  Question.  (Most  of  the  women  pay 
no  attention.)  Friends,  sisters,  be  seated.  The  meeting 
has  not  adjourned. 

(Women  begin  moving  about  the  room,  talking  indis* 
criminately.) 

VOICES  (in  a  jangled  chorus).  Pro-Germans!  Trait 
ors  !  They're  anarchists !  That's  what  they  are !  We've 
had  enough  of  Pacifists!  We're  in  war  now!  Our  coun 
try's  flag!  They  insulted  it!  Insulted  the  flag!  Yes, 
it's  an  outrage!  German  spies!  Report  them  to  the 
police!  Socialists!  Traitors!  It's  sedition!  Treason, 
treason ! 

(Women  surround  MRS.  HOLDEN  and  MRS.  SCHWEIT 
ZER,  who  rise  quietly  and  start  to  leave  the  room.) 

MRS.  WICKERSHEIM  (goes  to  MRS.  McCoNNELL 
and  takes  her  roughly  by  the  arm).  You,  too.  Come 
along.  This  is  no  place  for  you,  either.  (Lets  go  her 
arm  as  MRS.  McCoNNELL  voluntarily  follows  MRS. 
HOLDEN  and  MRS.  SCHWEITZER.) 

MRS.  SCHWEITZER  (near  the  door  attempting  to 
speak).  I  would  like  just  one  word  to  speak.  Madam 
President,  may  not  I  have  one  word  to  speak? 

PRESIDENT  (rapping  loudly  with  the  gavel).  Silence, 
order!  Mrs.  Schweitzer  has  the  floor.  Let  Mrs.  Schweit 
zer  speak.  Let  Mrs.  Schweit — 

VOICES  (at  random).  Traitors!  German  spies! 
Right  here!  At  this  meeting!  Drive  them  out!  Drive 
them  out!  Traitors! 

MRS.  BAKER.  Order,  order!  Women,  attention! 
The  President  is  speaking. 

PRESIDENT  (in  a  frightened  voice).     Order!  I  call  for 

29 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 

order.  Let  Mrs.  Schweitzer  speak.  (Raps  repeatedly 
with  the  gavel  which  only  adds  to  the  tumult  and  con 
fusion.)  Take  your  seats,  ladies!  (Almost  crying.)  Oh, 
please  take  your  seats,  ladies !  She  has  a  right  to  speak. 

MRS.  SMITH  (throwing  a  hymn  book  at  MRS. 
SCHWEITZER).  Get  out  of  here,  you  stinking  German! 

(MRS.  HOLDEN,  MRS.  SCHWEITZER  and  MRS.  Mc- 
CONNELL  leave  the  room.) 

MRS.  BAKER.     I  move  we  adjourn. 

PRESIDENT.  Is  there  a  second  to  this  motion?  (No 
one  answers.  All  are  moving  about  the  room  and  talk 
ing.) 

VOICES  (at  random) .  They're  gone!  German  spies! 
They're  everywhere.  We  can't  be  too  careful. 

MRS.  WICKERSHEIM  (throwing  her  arms  above  her 
head  and  screaming  hysterically).  We  have  purged  our 
meeting,  but  this  is  not  the  end.  Traitors,  three  traitors ! 
God  will  punish  them.  Speedily  he  will  punish  them. 
This  is  not  the  end.  Oh!  Oh!  —  (wails  and  falls 
panting  into  a  chair). 

MRS.  SMITH  (in  a  frenzy,  running  about  the  room 
and  shouting).  He  will.  He  will.  Traitors!  Punish 
them.  Traitors!  He  will.  God  will,  yes.  He  will.  I 

say traitors punish  God  will,  yes,  

trai ! 

MRS.  WICKERSHEIM.  They  have  sought  to  desecrate 
this  house  of  worship  but  we  have — oh,  we  have  cast 
them  (breathing  convulsively)  like  vipers — like  vipers 
from  our  midst! 

MRS.  SMITH  (still  running  about).  Vipers,  yes,  cast 

them traitors,  pro-Ger cast  them,  yes  —  trai — 

ai —  tors!  I  say  traitors  (shrieks  wildly)  Oh!  

punish God  will punish ! 

30 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 

MRS.  DAVIS  (touches  her  arm  gently).  Sister,  sister, 
compose  yourself. 

MRS.  SMITH.  God  will  vipers trait 

punish  oh!  oh  !  (Jerks  her  arm  away  from 

MRS.  DAVIS.) 

MRS.   DAVIS.     Yes,  sister,  yes;  it's  in  God's  hands. 

MRS.  SMITH.  Punish  them  God  vipers 

traitors pun — !  (MRS.  DAVIS  puts  her  arm 

around  MRS.  Smith's  body  trying  vainly  to  calm  her. 
MRS.  SMITH  raises  her  hand  as  if  to  strike  MRS.  DAVIS.) 

Let  me  go!  (MRS.  DAVIS  steps  back.)  Punish  

God j  (MRS.  SMITH  rushes  from  the  room.) 

ACT  II. 

Fall  of  1917. 

Living  Room  of  MRS.  HOLDEN'S  home.  At  the  rear 
is  a  large  window  and  a  door  leading  to  the  street.  At 
the  right  is  a  door  leading  to  another  room  and  at  the  left 
a  fire  place.  The  furnishings  of  the  room  are  simple  but 
show  refinement.  There  is  a  table  in  the  center  of  the 
room  and  near  the  right  door  a  small  writing  desk.  Near 
the  fire  place  two  or  three  easy  chairs  are  placed.  MRS. 
HOLDEN  sits  by  the  fire  mending. 

MRS.  HOLDEN  (sings  softly). 
"Jesus,  I  my  cross  have  taken, 
All  to  leave  and  follow  Thee." 

(After  a  pause  speaking  to  herself.)  Now  I'm  begin 
ning  to  understand  it.  It  isn't  an  emotional  conversion 
after  all.  To  be  a  Christian  is  just  to  be  calm  and  ra 
tional;  to  follow  quietly  after  the  Christ  ideal  in  spite  of 
the  shouting  crowd  rushing  in  the  other  direction.  (Con 
tinues  singing.) 

31 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 

"Destitute,  despised,  forsaken, 
Thou  from  hence  my  all  shalt  be." 

HELEN  (entering  from  the  right).  So  you're  still 
singing  your  pro-German  hymn. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.     My  avowal  of  loyalty. 

HELEN  (goes  to  the  table  where  she  lays  down  a  bun- 
die  of  books  and  papers).  And  now  my  all-trusting 
mother,  can  you  bear  a  little  more  weight  to  your  cross? 

MRS.  HOLDEN.     I  think  so.     I  haven't  lost  my  faith. 

HELEN.     But  I've  lost  my  job. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  Helen!  Do  you  really  mean  it?  Is 
that  why  you're  home  so  early? 

HELE.N.     It  is. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  But  I  thought  the  school  board  de 
cided  that  you  couldn't  be  held  responsible  for  the  beliefs 
and  acts  of  your  mother. 

HELEN.  They  did,  but  they  only  passed  me  tenta 
tively. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  And  have  I  made  you  trouble  after 
all,  dear?  I  haven't  meant  to  put  anything  in  your  way, 
for  I  know  you  don't  believe  as  I  do. 

HELEN  (takes  off  her  hat  and  coat  and  lays  them  on  a 
clc.ir  near  the  writing  desk).  No,  I  made  my  own 
trouble  this  time. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  You  have  been  so  unwilling  to  talk 
to  me  about  school  matters  that  I  haven't  known  what 
was  going  on.  Do  explain  it  to  me.  Have  you  been 
dismissed  by  the  school  board? 

HELEN.     I  most  certainly  have. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  Well,  I  don't  care  if  you  have  since 
the  schools  have  become  so  war-mad.  You've  stayed 
with  them  too  long  already. 

HELEN.     Yes,  but    \vhen    one    has  a    faith-consumed 

32 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 

mother,  it's  necessary  for  that  mother  to  have  a  somewhat 
practical  daughter. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  Oh,  I  have  misjudged  you,  Helen. 
Then  it  was  only  pretense  that  you  believed  in  the  war? 

HELEN.  I  believed  in  sticking  to  my  job  regardless 
of  everything  else.  (Sits  down  as  if  tired.)  I've  tried 
to  follow  that  one  duty  without  looking  to  the  right  or  to 
the  left,  war  or  no  war,  but  I've  failed.  One  foolish, 
soft  impulse  knocked  over  my  cold,  hard  judgment. 

MRS.  HOLDEN  (smiling).  You've  done  right,  my 
girl.  I'm  proud  of  you. 

HELEN.  But  I  didn't  mean  to.  It  was  an  accident. 
You  don't  need  to  think  that  I've  come  over  to  your 
reckless  way  of  looking  at  things;  not  at  all. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.     How  did  it  happen?     Tell  me. 

HELEN.  It  happened  so  suddenly  and  I'm  still  so 
dazed  that  I'm  not  yet  clear  in  my  own  mind  as  to  how 
it  did  happen.  But  it  happened,  and  the  next  question  is, 
what  are  we  going  to  do?  How  are  we  going  to  live? 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  Don't  worry  about  that.  We  can 
find  some  way  to  live.  I  can  do  something.  I've  let  you 
bear  the  burden  too  long. 

HELEN.  You  know  I  never  wanted  you  to  work  away 
from  home.  You  do  enough  right  here. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  I  could  be  a  housekeeper  somewhere. 
I'm  a  good  cook. 

HELEN.  Oh,  you  ridiculous  baby.  Who  do  you  think 
would  hire  a  notorious  Pacifist  like  you  to  cook  for  them? 
Why,  any  loyal,  patriotic  family  wrould  know  that  you 
would  poison  their  food. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  We  can  take  in  sewing.  We  both 
know  how  to  sew.  We  have  our  home  anyway. 

HELEN.    Yes,  it's  a  good  thing  we  own  our  own  home. 

33 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 

We  may  be  needing  it  to  go  bail  for  one  or  the  other  of 
us  before  this  jazz  patriotism  has  played  itself  out. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  You  haven't  told  me  yet  what  hap 
pened  at  school.  How  could  they  dismiss  you  so  sud 
denly?  Did  you  have  a  hearing  before  the  board? 

HELEN.  The  hearing  two  months  ago  was  sufficient 
for  them.  They  put  me  on  probation  then  for  being  my 
mother's  daughter  and  I've  been  under  surveillance  and 
over  a  powder  keg  ever  since.  Today  the  powder  keg 
exploded  and  blew  me  through  the  roof.  But  you  didn't 
have  anything  to  do  with  it.  I  lit  the  match  with  my  own 
hand,  and  came  to  grief  on  my  own  account. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  Oh  I'm  so  glad;  and  how  happy 
Joseph  will  be. 

HELEN.  Now  you  make  me  angry.  There's  no  such 
thing  as  happiness  any  more.  There's  only  misery  and 
cruelty  and  slavery. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  Don't  be  bitter,  dear.  I  didn't  mean 
to  taunt  you.  But  tell  me,  did  you  really  take  a  stand 
against  the  war? 

HELEN.  I  don't  know  what  I  did.  I  guess  I  just  lost 
my  nerve.  I  got  out  of  breath  and  couldn't  keep  up  with 
my  end  of  the  murder  game. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  Your  real  self  broke  through  after 
all.  I  always  had  faith  in  you,  Helen. 

HELEN.  I  tell  you  it  was  only  an  impulse.  You  and 
Joseph  may  sacrifice  yourselves  and  everybody  else  for 
principles,  ideals,  visions,  but  I'm  not  made  that  way. 
Ideals  don't  pay  the  grocery  bills  (getting  up  and  walk 
ing  about  the  room  nervously],  but  I'd  better  tell  you  the 
story  while  it's  warm.  A  woman  from  the  Red  Cross 
came  to  my  room  the  first  period  this  morning  to  teach 
the  children  to  make  gun  wipers.  Yes,  don't  look  so 

34 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 

horrified;  these  amalgamated  angels  of  mercy  are  right 
on  the  job.  The  children  are  sitting  at  their  desks,  each 
one  provided  with  a  few  old  stockings  from  the  family 
rag  bag  and  a  needle  laboriously  threaded.  Our  benign 
lady  in  her  airy  Red  Cross  bonnet  and  veil  and  her  jaunty 
French  slippers  flits  among  them  and  soon  the  old  stock 
ings  are  going  through  a  transformation.  She  charms 
the  children  so  that  they  really  work.  "Children,  do  you 
know  what  you  are  making?"  Her  voice  is  as  sweet  and 
soft  as  a  marshmallow.  "Gun-wipers,"  they  all  answer. 
"But  I  mean  do  you  know  what  they  are  to  be  used 
for?"  "To  wipe  the  big  guns  on  the  ships,"  someone 
suggests.  "No,  something  better  than  that,"  she  purrs. 
"These  are  for  the  men  in  action.  Every  soldier  in  the 
field  must  have  one  hanging  to  his  belt  to  wipe  the  blood 
off  his  bayonet  when  he  gets  one  of  those  Huns."  Oh,  it 
makes  me  sick  to  think  of  it.  I  saw  a  little  girl  near  me 
turn  white  and  I  couldn't  keep  still.  "That's  no  way  to 
speak  to  children,"  I  said.  She  turned  on  me  with  a 
bayonet  of  a  look  and  retorted,  "Somebody  has  to  teach 
the  children  patriotism  when  their  teacher  doesn't." 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  Why  didn't  you  report  her  to  Mr. 
Curtis? 

HELEN.     She  reported  me  to  Mr.  Curtis. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.     Didn't  he  take  your  part? 

HELEN.     No. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  I  always  thought  he  was  a  tender 
hearted  man. 

HELEN.     So  he  was  before  the  war. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.     How  can  he  change  so? 

HELEN.  He  wants  to  be  county  superintendent.  He's 
campaigning  on  100%  Americanism.  He's  the  one  that 
started  this  business  of  taking  the  children  into  the  streets 

35 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 

to  make  speeches  for  the  liberty  loan. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.    He  couldn't  dismiss  you,  could  he? 

HELEN.  He  could  recommend  my  dismissal  to  the 
school  board. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  Did  they  make  a  formal  charge 
against  you?  How  could  they  act  so  quickly? 

HELEN.  I  don't  know.  I  can  only  surmise.  I  have 
some  Boy  Scouts  in  my  room.  The  Boy  Scouts  are  told 
to  spy  on  their  teachers.  Soon  after  the  Red  Cross 
woman  had  gone,  one  of  the  boys  asked  permission  to 
leave  the  room.  I  suppose  he  didn't  have  any  trouble 
getting  the  use  of  the  telephone  in  the  office  to  telephone 
to  his  father,  as  his  father  is  one  of  the  committee  that's 
arranging  for  tank  day  and  is  "hand  and  glove"  with 
the  school  board  just  now. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.     What  is  tank  day? 

HELEN.  The  day  when  a  real  war  tank  is  to  be  ex 
hibited  on  the  school  grounds. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.     Oh  horrible! 

HELEN.  But  tank  day  is  to  be  most  delightful.  Be 
sides  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  and  the  Merchants'  & 
Manufacturers'  Association,  the  old  soldiers  will  be  there 
and  all  the  young  army  and  navy  men  who  are  within 
reach.  The  children  will  go  through  the  flag  drill  and 
sing  patriotic  songs.  My  room  is  to  sing  the  modern 
classic,  "Over  There,"  or  "The  Yanks  Are  Coming." 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  Oh  Helen,  I'm  so  glad  you're  out 
of  it. 

HELEN.     But  it  will  ring  in  my  ears.     I  trained  them. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.     How  could  you? 

HELEN.     To  hold  my  job. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  Thank  God,  you've  failed  at  last. 
When  did  you  get  the  word  that  you'd  been  dismissed? 

36 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 

HELEN.  By  one  o'clock  my  walking  papers  and  the 
substitute  teacher  had  arrived.  The  school  board  hap 
pened  to  be  in  session  this  morning  which  made  it  quite 
convenient. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  You're  my  own,  own  girl.  (Goes  to 
her  and  kisses  her.) 

HELEN.  And  I  had  made  up  my  mind  to  hold  on 
till  the  end.  I  was  expecting  to  take  the  pledge  with 
the  rest  of  them  next  Monday. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  What  do  you  mean  by  taking  the 
pledge  ? 

HELEN.  The  loyalty  pledge.  Don't  you  know  about 
the  loyalty  pledge?  They're  forcing  the  teachers  to  sign 
it  all  over  the  country. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  This  is  the  first  I've  heard  of  it. 
What  is  it? 

HELEN.  That  we  declare  our  absolute  loyalty  to  the 
existing  government;  that  we  recognize  the  laws  and  tra 
ditions  of  the  United  States  as  superior  to  all  others;  that 
we  feel  the  necessity  that  devolves  upon  us  of  winning  the 
war  at  any  cost  and  that  to  this  end  we  pledge  our  lives, 
our  money  and  our  sacred  honor.  To  complete  the  bondage 
we  must  swear  that  we  sign  this  pledge  without  any 
mental  reservations  whatsoever. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.     The  teachers  have  to  sign  that? 

HELEN.    Yes. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.     And  you  would  have  signed  it? 

HELEN.     We  have  to  lie  to  live  these  days. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  "The  Lord  is  my  Shepherd,  I  shall 
not  want." 

HELEN.  So  you  have  always  taught  me,  but  how  can 
the  Lord  raise  his  head  in  this  hell?  The  Lord  is  out 
lawed  now  with  the  Pacificists.  ( The  door  bell  rings. 

37 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 

Helen  goes  to  the  door.) 

MRS.  CALKINS  (rushing  in  breathlessly).  Oh  Helen! 
I'm  frightened  nearly  to  death.  (To  Mrs.  H olden.)  I 
didn't  know  anybody  to  come  to  but  you,  Mrs.  Holden. 
(Drops  into  a  chair.)  Oh  dear,  oh  dear! 

HELEN  AND  MRS.  HOLDEN  (together).  Why,  what's 
the  matter? 

MRS.  CALKINS.    They've  drafted  him. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.     Who? 

MRS.  CALKINS.     Dick,  my  husband. 

HELEN.     How  proud  you  must  be. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  I  thought  you  said  he  couldn't  pass 
the  physical  examination. 

MRS.  CALKINS.  They  examined  him  again  and  (be 
gins  to  cry) — he  passed. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  But  you  said  he  wanted  to  go  to  the 
war.  I  think  you  said  he  was  crazy  to  go  or  something 
like  that. 

MRS.  CALKINS  (through  her  tears).  He's  changed 
his  mind. 

HELEN.  Glorious!  Now  you  can  pretend  you're  a 
war  bride.  You  told  me  the  other  day  how  you  envied 
the  war  brides. 

MRS.  CALKINS.  I've  changed  my  mind  too.  (Wipes 
her  eyes.) 

MRS.  HOLDEN.     Poor  child!     I'm  very  sorry  for  you. 

HELEN.  But  the  honor  of  it.  Don't  you  believe  in 
this  war  for  liberty  and  democracy? 

MRS.  CALKINS.  Of  course  I  believe  in  the  war; 
everybody  has  to  believe  in  the  war,  but  I  never  thought 
of  their  taking  Dick.  I  depended  on  his  weak  lungs. 

HELEN.  Your  dependence  proved  weaker  than  his 
lungs  it  seems. 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  Why  did  you  come  to  me?  I  don't 
believe  in  the  war.  I  can't  say  any  of  the  nice  things  to 
you  about  being  glad  and  giving  him  up  with  a  smile. 
But  indeed  I  pity  anyone  whose  husband  or  son  is  taken. 

MRS.  CALKINS.     I  thought  you  could  help  me. 

HELEN.  How  in  the  world  did  you  think  Mother 
could  help  you,  though  she  is  a  saint  and  natural  guard 
ian  angel? 

MRS.  CALKINS.  Can't  you  intercede  with  the  draft 
board?  Mr.  Woodhill's  on  the  board  in  our  district. 
He  thinks  you're  such  a  good  woman.  He's  always 
praised  your  work  in  the  church  so  much.  You  go  to 
him  and  tell  him  you  think  Dick  ought  to  be  let  off  for 
my  sake  and  the  baby's.  (Takes  MRS.  HOLDEN'S  hand 
imploringly.)  You  will  now,  won't  you? 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  Poor,  foolish,  little  girl,  don't  you 
know  that  I  was  put  out  of  the  church  after  the  trouble 
at  the  Ladies'  Aid  meeting? 

MRS.  CALKINS.  Yes,  but  Mr.  Woodhill  told  Father 
that  he  still  respects  you  as  a  wroman. 

HELEN.     What  a  great  concession. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  No,  Katherine,  I  couldn't  go  to  Mr. 
Woodhill. 

MRS.  CALKINS.     Oh,  what  shall  I  do?     I'm   almost 
crazy.     What  if  he  should  get  killed?     I've  been  imag 
ining  myself  a  widow  all  the  way  dowrn  here. 
^  HELEN.     A  war  widow!     That  ought  to  thrill  you. 
Could  anything  be  more  romanitcallv  patriotic  than  that? 

MRS.  HOLDEN.     Don't,  Helen.     It's  too  serious. 

MRS.  CALKINS.  Of  course  I'm  patriotic,  absolutely 
patriotic,  and  I  do  appreciate  the  noble  sacrifice  for  coun 
try  and  all  that,  but,  oh  dear,  if — he — shouldn't  come 
back.  Oh,  I'm  so  frightened,  maybe oh,  dear!  Well, 

39 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 
-I've  thought  of  another  plan. 


MRS.  HOLDEN.     Another  plan? 

MRS.  CALKINS.  What's  this  new  idea  about  being  a 
— what  do  you  call  it? — a  Conscience ? 

MRS.  HOLDEN.     Conscientious  Objector? 

MRS.  CALKINS.  Yes.  Helen,  isn't  your  fiancee  one 
of  those? 

HELEN.     Yes,  but  unfortunately  he's  a  real  one. 

MRS.  CALKINS.  Couldn't  you  persuade  him  to  get 
Dick  in  with  them?  Dick's  willing  to  do  any  kind  of 
work.  I  know  he  is  though  Father  does  say  he's  lazy. 
Helen,  you  plead  with  Mr.  McConnell  for  my  sake  to 
help  Dick.  I'd  do  it  myself  but  I  don't  know  Mr.  Mc 
Connell. 

HELEN.  I've  been  pleading  with  him  to  leave  the 
Conscientious  Objectors.  I  don't  want  him  shot  at  sun 
rise. 

MRS.  CALKINS.     I  wouldn't  like  that  either. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  You  seem  to  have  a  peculiar  idea 
about  the  Conscientious  Objectors,  Katherine.  Don't  you 
know  that  they  are  military  outlaws?  The  absolutists 
like  Joseph  McConnell  won't  obey  any  military  orders. 
They  even  refuse  to  wear  the  uniform. 

MRS.  CALKINS.  Oh,  Dick  wouldn't  be  that  way.  He'd 
be  glad  to  wear  the  uniform.  We  both  respect  the  uni 
form. 

HELEN.  Why  shouldn't  you  when  the  uniform  is  so 
pre-eminently  respectable  ? 

MRS.  CALKINS.  He'd  do  anything  they  told  him  to  if 
he  only  didn't  have  to  fight.  Couldn't  he  be  that  kind 
of  a  Con — oh,  dear,  that  name — Conscientious  Objector? 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  In  that  case  he  would  have  to  belong 
to  some  church  that  had  an  anti-war  tenet  in  its  creed. 

40 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 

His  church  has  no  such  tenet. 

MRS.  CALKINS.     I  think  he'd  be  willing  to  change. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  I'm  afraid  it's  too  late.  Those 
churches  aren't  taking  in  any  new  members  subject  to 
the  draft. 

MRS.  CALKINS.  What  church  does  Mr.  McConnell 
belong  to? 

HELEN.     None.     He's  a  Socialist. 

MRS.  CALKINS.     Does  that  exempt  him? 

HELEN.     It  seems  to  keep  him  out. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  Have  you  tried  to  get  your  husband 
exempted  on  the  ground  of  having  dependents? 

MRS.  CALKINS.  They  say  he  doesn't  support  us.  Just 
because  Father's  wealthy  isn't  any  excuse  for  them  tak 
ing  him  away  from  me  and  the  baby  as  if  we  didn't 
count.  It's  a  mean  shame.  There're  lots  of  men  that 
aren't  married  that  they  could  take.  He  does  support 
us — some.  He  stays  at  the  office  all  he  has  time  to,  but 
lately  he's  been  so  rushed.  You  know  he's  trying  to  win 
the  golf  championship  cup  for  our  club. 

HELEN.     Sufficient  grounds  for  exemption,  surely. 

MRS.  CALKINS.  No,  I  didn't  mean  that,  but  he's  so 
upset  he  couldn't  do  anything  today.  He  couldn't  even 
go  out  to  the  links,  and  he's  afraid  they'll  lose  without 
him. 

HELEN.  Maybe  the  draft  board  is  afraid  they'll  lose 
the  war  without  him. 

MRS.  CALKINS.  Then  they  ought  to  give  him  a  good 
place.  He  could  be  such  a  help  somewhere — where  it's 
safe,  of  course. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  Hasn't  your  father  got  a  pull  of 
some  kind  that  he  could  use  in  his  behalf?  Have  you 
seen  a  lawyer? 


41 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 

MRS.  CALKINS.  The  trouble  is  Father's  so  against 
him.  He  says,  "Let  him  go;  maybe  it  will  make  a  man 
of  him."  Father's  getting  so  hard  hearted.  Those  were 
exactly  his  words.  But  you've  given  me  an  idea.  I'll 
see  Father's  lawyer.  That's  the  very  thing.  Thank  you 
for  giving  me  such  a  good  suggestion.  I'm  ready  to  shout 
(jumps  up  and  hugs  MRS.  HOLDEN),  I  feel  so  happy 
about  it.  Funny  I  didn't  think  of  it  myself. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.     So  I  did  help  you  after  all. 

HELEN.  It  takes  Mother  to  give  aid  and  comfort  to 
the  enemy. 

MRS.  CALKINS.  Now,  you  won't  tell  anybody  that  I 
came  here,  will  you?  You  know  it  might  reflect  on  my 
patriotism  and  I'm  thoroughly  loyal.  I  truly  am.  No 
body  worked  harder  than  I  did  in  the  Liberty  Bond  drive. 
Why,  I  got  all  tired  out.  But  I  want  to  do  my  bit,  and 
I'm  willing  to  make  great  sacrifices. 

HELEN  (looking  out  of  the  window}.  Here  comes 
the  minister. 

MRS.  CALKINS.  Oh  mercy!  I  wouldn't  have  him 
see  me  here  for  anything.  It  might  get  to  Mrs.  Wickers- 
heim  and  I'm  on  her  loyalty  committee.  I'm  almost  as 
much  afraid  of  her  as  I  am  of  the  draft  board.  Helen, 
what  can  I  do?  (Looks  about  the  room  helplessly.) 

HELEN.  Here,  come  out  this  way.  I  don't  want  to 
see  him,  either.  We'll  leave  him  to  Mother. 

MRS.  CALKINS.  Oh,  hurry  up.  I'm  so  scared.  ( They 
go  out  at  the  right.) 

(MRS.  HOLDEN  lets  in  MR.  THORP,  the  minister.  He 
is  a  fairly  young  man  with  an  intelligent  face.  He  wears 
a  well  tailored  business  suit,  quite  without  clerical  distinc 
tive  ness.) 

MR.  TKORP.     How     do     you     do,     Mrs.     Holden? 

42 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 

(Shakes  hands  with  her.) 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  Thank  you,  I'm  quite  well.  (Pushes 
forward  a  chair  for  him.) 

MR.  THORP.  Perhaps  you  have  wondered  why  I 
have  not  been  to  see  you  before  this. 

MRS.  HOLDEN  (sitting  down).  On  the  contrary,  I 
am  wondering  why  you  have  come  at  all.  But  be  seated. 
I  would  like  to  have  you  tell  me. 

MR.  THORP  (sitting  down).  I  want  you  to  know 
that  I  deeply  regret  your  separation  from  the  church. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.      Didn't  you  sanction  my  expulsion? 

MR.  THORP.  I  did  not,  and  I  came  to  tell  you  that 
I  did  not.  I  opposed  it,  but  I  was  forced  to  give  in  to 
my  trustees. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  You  used  not  to  be  subject  to  the 
force  of  your  trustees. 

MR.  THORP.     The  situation  is  different  now. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  Are  you  forced  also  to  give  in  to  the 
local  Council  of  Defense?  I  understand  that  you  have 
become  a  member  of  it. 

MR.  THORP.  I  feel  that  I  am  called  as  a  moderator 
at  this  time  when  hysteria  is  taking  hold  of  the  people. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  Oh,  that  is  your  function  now,  is  it? 
Moderator !  I  remember  the  time  when  you  preached 
that  no  man  can  serve  two  masters. 

MR.  THORP.  Why  do  you  doubt  me?  I  am  serving 
only  one  master — God. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.     The  war-god. 

MR.  THORP.  I  am  speaking  only  the  truth  from  my 
pulpit,  but  I  cannot  fly  in  the  face  of  public  opinion.  I 
am  a  true  Pacifist,  but— 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  Yes,  but — a  Pacifist  but.  I  notice 
that  many  of  our  old  Pacifist  pillars  are  now  becoming 

43 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 

Pacifist  burs.  Perhaps  you  are  like  another  minister  of 
my  acquaintance  who  says,  yes,  he's  a  Pacificist,  with  the 
accent  on  the  fist. 

MR.  THORP.     I  am  not  flippant. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.     But  you  are  politic. 

MR.  THORP.  How  do  you  know  what  I  am  since  you've 
stopped  coming  to  hear  me? — you  whom  I  have  always 
depended  upon  to  back  me  up  in  all  my  endeavors. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  Would  you  wish  me  to  continue  in 
attendance  when  I've  been  excommunicated? 

MR.  THORP.  The  church  is  greater  than  its  officials. 
You  will  always  be  welcome  in  my  congregation. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  Mr.  Thorp,  you  know  that  in  the 
past  I  have  been  a  most  sincere  admirer  of  your  preach 
ing.  It  has  meant  much  to  me,  but  as  you  say,  the  situa 
tion  has  changed.  I  am  better  satisfied  now  to  spend  my 
Sunday  mornings  at  home  reading  Tolstoy. 

MR.  THORP.     Didn't  I  teach  you  to  love  Tolstoy? 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  You  did  and  you  opened  a  great 
new  vision  to  me.  I  have  been  following  that  vision  to 
the  best  of  my  ability.  Why  have  you  deserted  it? 

MR.  THORP.  I  have  not  deserted  it.  I  am  follow 
ing  it  in  another  way. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  There  is  no  other  way.  Before  this 
country  entered  the  World  War  you  declared  yourself 
uncompromisingly  opposed  to  participation  in  it.  It  was 
less  than  a  year  ago  that  you  preached  a  sermon  against 
preparedness  that  brought  down  upon  your  head  the 
wrath  of  war  mongers  here  and  elsewhere.  Even  after 
congress  declared  war  you  continued  to  criticise  the  pow 
ers  of  plutocracy  in  no  uncertain  terms.  Then  I  thought 
with  joy,  here  is  one  man  who  will  not  topple  over  under 
pressure.  I  can  depend  upon  the  pastor  of  my  church  to 


44 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 

stand  against  war  as  long  as  he  has  breath  to  speak. 

MR.  THORP.  Wherein  have  I  failed?  I  am  still 
opposed  to  war  as  a  principle,  but  this  war  has  to  be 
fought  out.  We  have  put  our  hand  to  the  plow  and 
there  is  no  turning  back. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  Why  did  you  put  your  hand  to  the 
plow  ? 

MR.  THORP.     I  had  no  choice  in  the  matter. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  You  mean  you  dared  not  refuse. 
The  penalty  was  too  great.  The  price  of  a  free  con 
science  was  more  than  you  could  pay.  So  you  sold  your 
soul  for  safe  conduct  across  the  years  of  war,  thinking 
perhaps  that  after  it  is  all  over  you  can  make  yourself 
right  by  being  a  Pacifist  again  and  preaching  your  old 
doctrines  in  peace  and  security.  But  who  will  believe  you 
then? 

MR.  THORP.  I  am  preaching  the  same  doctrines  that 
I  have  always  taught — love  and  brotherhood. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.     And  war. 

MR.  THORP.     I  cannot  stop  the  war. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  You  can  refuse  to  acquiesce  in  it. 
Although  you  may  explain  your  preaching,  how  can  you 
justify  your  public  activities?  You  are  lending  your  name 
and  your  voice  to  every  enterprise  of  the  war  machine  in 
this  locality — presiding  at  war  work  garden  fetes,  mak 
ing  heroic  farewell  speeches  to  the  conscript  soldiers, 
doing  anything  and  everything  that  you  are  asked  to  do. 
For  what  purpose  are  you  on  the  Council  of  Defense? 

MR.  THORP.  There  are  a  lot  of  hot-headed  young 
business  men  and  choleric  old  retired  capitalists  on  the 
Council  and  I  consented  to  become  a  member  because  I 
thought  that  by  being  on  the  inside  I  could  keep  a  certain 
check  on  their  actions  and  in  this  way  render  a  great  ser- 

45 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 

vice  to  the  community. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  And  where  are  you  keeping  a  check 
on  their  actions?  Haven't  they  lately  sent  resolutions  to 
Washington  demanding  the  death  penalty  for  all  who 
oppose  the  war  ?  I  tell  you,  Mr.  Thorp,  I  would  rather 
be  a  victim  of  that  law  than  to  stand  as  sponsor  for  it. 

MR.  THORP.  I  do  not  stand  as  sponsor  for  it.  The 
resolution  was  passed  when  I  was  not  present.  I  have 
expressed  my  disapproval  of  it. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  You  haven't  expressed  it  loud  enough 
to  be  heard  above  the  war  din.  Your  name  is  linked 
with  the  resolution. 

MR.  THORP.  I  know.  I  am  very  sorry  that  it  hap 
pened  so. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  They  are  using  you.  Can't  you  see 
it?  They  are  making  your  name  stand  for  what  they 
wish.  They  are  determined  to  punish  you  for  once  hav 
ing  been  a  Pacifist. 

MR.  THORP.  You  are  mistaken.  I  am  leading  them. 
I  am  subtly  turning  the  public  mind — that  is  the  public 
mind  within  my  reach — from  the  more  brutal  conceptions 
of  war  into  an  appreciation  of  idealism.  I  am  doing  a 
greater  work  than  I  have  ever  done  before.  I  am  flow 
ing  with  the  stream  in  order  to  cleanse  it. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  And  the  putrefaction  of  the  stream 
has  taken  away  your  virtue  as  a  cleanser.  What  did  you 
say  just  now  about  being  forced  by  your  trustees?  You 
are  the  minister  of  a  great  wealthy  church;  bankers  and 
merchants  and  government  officials  are  in  your  congrega 
tion  and  among  your  trustees.  I  have  known  you  in  the 
past  to  say  daring  things  from  your  pulpit.  You  have 
hurled  in  the  teeth  of  these  men  most  radical,  socialistic 
doctrines.  I  remember  when  more  than  half  of  your 

46 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 

trustees  resigned  because  you  had  gone  too  far  for  them. 
You  smiled  and  went  serenely  on  preaching  what  they 
called  anarchy.  At  that  time  you  felt  no  danger.  If 
some  people  left  your  church  others  would  take  their 
places.  You  were  a  popular  minister.  If  you  were  not 
wanted  at  that  church  others  were  calling  you. 

MR.  THORP.  Why  do  you  think  that  I  am  doing 
differently  now? 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  Because  if  you  did  not  now  preach  ac 
cording  to  the  dictates  of  your  trustees  and  the  Council 
of  Defense  you  would  not  only  be  put  out  of  your  church 
but  no  other  church  would  have  you  and  if  you  tried  to 
hire  a  hall  and  speak  independently  you  would  be  put  in 
jail. 

MR.  THORP.     I  could  do  no  good  in  jail. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  John  the  Baptist  went  to  jail;  so  did 
Savonarola. 

MR.  THORP.  I  do  not  live  in  the  time  of  John  the 
Baptist,  nor  of  Savonarola. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  You  live  in  a  time  of  equal  hypo 
crisy  when  the  demands  of  conscience  require  the  same 
sacrifices.  You  were  put  to  the  test.  You  yielded  to 
hypocrisy.  Then  the  powers  that  you  had  attacked  had 
you  in  their  clutch.  "We  will  bring  this  man  to  time," 
they  said,  "this  Pacifist,  this  Socialist,  this  radical,  this 
disrupter  of  our  sovereignty.  He  shall  do  our  bidding;  he 
shall  be  our  gilded  mouthpiece.  He  shall  whip  into  line 
with  his  eloquence  those  whom  this  same  eloquence  has 
made  derelict."  Such  is  your  moderatorship.  You  are 
their  henchman,  their  flunky,  their  hired  fiddler. 

MR.  THORP  (standing  up,  in  anger).  How  do  you 
dare  say  such  things  to  me? 

MRS.  HOLDEN.     I  don't  know  how  I  dare,  but  before 

47 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 

I  cease  to  dare,  I  want  to  ask  you  one  question.  If  you 
believe  in  the  war,  Mr.  Thorp,  why  don't  you  go? 

MR.  THORP  (hesitating).  I — I  have  other  work  to 
do. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  That  is  a  very  poor  excuse.  To 
get  behind  the  man  behind  the  gun  in  a  safe  and  comfort 
able  position,  to  push  from  the  rear,  what  bravery  is  there 
in  that?  If  you  believe  in  the  war,  prove  it.  The  recruit 
ing  offices  are  open  and  you  are  within  the  age  limit. 

MR.  THORP.  I  did  not  come  here  to  quarrel  with  you. 
I  came  to  tell  you  that  I  wished  you  still  to  consider  me 
your  pastor. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  No,  I  cannot  for  you  have  repu 
diated  in  both  words  and  deeds  the  things  which  you 
taught  me  to  speak  and  live.  I  am  on  strike  against  the 
war.  I  know  that  only  through  the  absolute  refusal  of 
responsible  people  to  have  anything  whatever  to  do  with 
war  or  military  preparedness  can  war  ever  be  eliminated 
as  an  institution  among  men.  You  have  been  my  teacher 
in  these  ideas  and  for  this  reason  I  owe  a  debt  to  you 
which  I  must  not  forget.  Forgive  me  if  I  have  spoken 
passionately.  My  disappointment  in  you  has  been  keen. 

MR.  THORP.  Change  is  a  law  of  nature.  We  must 
change  our  opinions  sometimes  with  the  course  of  world 
events.  It  is  narrow  not  to  do  so.  The  war  has  stirred 
the  people  young  and  old,  rich  and  poor,  to  an  enthusiasm 
they  have  never  known  before.  It  has  aroused  in  the 
masses  a  quickened  consciousness  of  moral  imperative.  It 
is  daily  creating  new  spiritual  values  which  we  have  to 
recognize. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  War  is  as  old  as  history.  This  war 
is  no  different  from  any  other  war  except  in  intensity  and 
stupendousness.  War  cannot  create  new  spiritual  values 

48 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 

for  it  destorts  all  values.  Moral  imperative  directed  to 
war  runs  into  emotional  debauchery  as  quicksilver  coming 
in  contact  with  grosser  metals  absorbs  them  and  becomes 
contaminated. 

MR.  THORP.  Christ  was  a  militant  in  some  respects. 
You  cannot  deny  that.  He  threw  the  money  changers  out 
of  the  temple. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  Christ  was  a  moral  militant,  not  a 
warrior.  He  was  never  a  patriot  nor  a  conqueror.  He 
threw  the  money  changers  out  of  the  temple  in  protest 
against  the  commercial  domination  of  religion.  He  did 
not  enter  the  temple  armed  to  kill  and  he  did  not  kill. 

MR.  THORP.  He  hurled  invective  against  the  Scribes 
and  Pharisees. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  Yes,  as  a  rebel  like  the  Pacifists  of 
today.  And  when  attacked  he  put  up  no  defense.  He 
turned  the  other  cheek  and  was  crucified.  So  are  the 
Conscientious  Objectors  doing  now.  This  is  the  moral 
offensive  of  non-resistance.  It  is  the  cardinal  principle 
of  Christianity  which  defies  the  pharisaical  church  of  the 
present  as  in  the  days  of  Christ. 

MR.  THORP.  There  is  some  truth  in  what  you  say. 
I  may  have  wandered  a  little  from  the  Tolstoyan  way  of 
thinking,  but  we  cannot  repudiate  the  church  entirely.  It 
is  the  church  which  preserves  to  the  world  the  teachings 
of  Jesus,  without  which  we  should  indeed  be  adrift. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  It  is  through  the  church  that  the 
teachings  of  Jesus  are  being  lost  and  the  name  of  Chris 
tianity  discredited. 

MR.   THORP.     We  must  purify  the  church. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  It  has  become  too  rancid  for  purifica 
tion.  The  spirit  of  Christ  has  to  be  rediscovered  and  the 
path  of  the  cross  retrod  in  every  crisis  of  the  world. 

49 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 

Otherwise  love  becomes  a  platitude. 

MR.  THORP.     I  have  cast  my  lot  with  the  church. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  I  have  cast  mine  with  the  publicans 
and  sinners. 

MR.  THORP.  The  masses  need  the  moral  bulwark  of 
the  church.  With  all  its  faults  it  is  a  fundamental  social 
necessity. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  The  masses  need  to  think  and  act 
for  themselves.  As  a  part  of  the  masses  myself  I  am 
trying  my  prowess  without  the  church. 

MR.  THORP.  I  cannot  desert  my  post  of  spiritual 
leadership  in  time  of  calamity. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  Spiritual  leadership  is  not  a  profes 
sion;  it  is  a  renunciation. 

MR.  THORP  (looking  at  his  watch).  I  cannot  argue 
with  you  longer.  I  have  an  engagement  this  afternoon. 
It  is  getting  late.  I  see  we  have  no  common  ground  on 
which  to  meet. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.     So  it  seems.     I  will  not  detain  you. 

MR.  THORP.     Good-bye.     I  will  not  call  again. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.     Good-bye. 

(MR.  THORP  goes  out  while  MRS.  HOLDEN  stands  at 
the  mantlepiece,  thinking.) 

HELEN  (opening  the  door  at  the  right).  Mother, 
Mother,  what  have  you  been  doing.  Joseph  and  I  were 
shocked. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.    You  eaves  droppers! 

JOSEPH  (coming  in  with  HELEN).  We  couldn't  hear 
anything  but  tones  of  voices,  but  we  judged  that  you  laid 
him  out. 

HELEN.  And  yet  I  don't  doubt  that  she  believes  she 
can  still  redeem  him.  She's  afflicted  with  faith  in  God 
and  man. 

50 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 

MRS.  HOLDEN.     Joseph,  this  girl  is  becoming  a  cynic. 

JOSEPH.  No,  she's  only  boiling  over  a  little.  When 
she  finally  gets  the  bubbles  condensed  she'll  be  as  thor 
ough  going  a  revolutionist  as  you  and  I  are. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  I'm  not  a  revolutionist.  I'm  a  Paci 
fist. 

JOSEPH.  It's  all  the  same.  You're  a  new  revolu 
tionist. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  But  I  don't  believe  in  any  kind  of 
war. 

JOSEPH.  Neither  do  I.  That's  the  new  revolution. 
It's  out  to  destroy  a  double  headed  monster — the  eco 
nomic  system  that  creates  the  material  causes  of  war  and 
the  social  ethics  that  makes  honorable  the  method  of  war. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  Maybe  I'm  a  revolutionist  then,  but 
I  thought  revolution  meant  more  fighting. 

JOSEPH.  So  it  does  to  those  who  see  only  half  of  it. 
We  are  so  used  to  expressing  every  move  in  terms  of 
bloodshed  that  pacifism  seems  too  drastic  an  innovation. 

HELEN.  Who  ever  heard  of  a  revolution  without 
bloodshed? 

JOSEPH.      It's  the  coming  phenomenon. 

MRS.   HOLDEN.     What  will  be  its  method  of  combat? 

JOSEPH.     The  barrage  fire  of  propaganda. 

HELEN.  With  free  speech  and  free  press  cut  off. 
Ridiculous! 

JOSEPH.  There's  propaganda  in  the  silent  protest. 
When  we  can't  speak  our  principles  we  have  to  live  them. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.     Or  die  for  them. 

JOSEPH.  Dying  for  them  is  just  the  last  act  of  living 
for  them.  We  don't  die  or  even  go  to  jail  if  we  can 
honorably  do  anything  else.  We  aren't  martyrs  except  as 
a  final  challenge. 

51 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  Current  history  is  repeating  the 
middle  ages.  Now  patriotism  is  the  world's  religion  and 
the  flag  is  the  fetish  of  worship  as  the  crucifix  was  then. 

JOSEPH.  Which  makes  the  present  war  as  ecstatic  as 
a  crusade  and  condemns  us  Non-resistants  as  the  vilest  of 
heretics. 

HELEN.  And  how  can  you  and  Mother  stop  this 
modern  idolatry  with  a  few  tender  principles? 

JOSEPH.      By  applying  them  at  the  base. 

HELEN.  You're  such  a  visionary,  Joseph,  and  so  is 
Mother.  Here  you  are  defying  the  draft  law  and  Mother 
ignoring  the  espionage  act  as  if  you  thought  the  salvation 
of  the  world  depended  on  your  contrariness. 

JOSEPH.  It  does.  It  depends  on  the  contrariness  of 
the  masses  and  we  are  a  part  of  the  masses. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  Why,  that's  almost  what  I  said  to 
Mr.  Thorp. 

HELEN.  Great  minds,  I  suppose.  You're  both  too 
much  for  me.  Why  can't  you  be  practical  and  accept  the 
public  state  of  mind  as  it  is? 

JOSEPH.  Why  do  you  persist  in  setting  your  face 
against  us?  Is  it  to  try  us,  to  satisfy  yourself  that  we 
can't  be  corrupted? 

HELEN.  Maybe  you're  steel  enough  to  go  through 
the  fire  of  martyrdom,  but  I'm  not  of  that  mettle,  and 
when  you  go  through  you  drag  me  through  against  my 
will.  If  Mother  continues  to  speak  her  mind  and  you 
hold  out  as  a  Conscientious  Objector  there's  no  alterna 
tive  but  martyrdom  for  all  of  us.  Why  won't  you  be 
reasonable  and  accept  some  kind  of  military  service? 
You've  had  plenty  of  good  chances. 

JOSEPH.     I'm  not  looking  for  a  safe  berth. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.     Helen,  Helen,  how  can  you?  Hasn't 

52 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 

he  enough  to  undergo  without  your  cruel  jibes? 

JOSEPH.  Oh,  don't  mind  her.  She's  only  trying  to 
toughen  me  for  the  jolt.  Wait  till  I'm  a  military  con 
vict.  She'll  not  turn  a  hair.  And  what's  more  surpris 
ing,  I  think  I'm  going  to  have  my  mother  with  me,  too. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  Your  mother?  Never.  She's  wor 
shipping  at  the  shrine  of  Wilson's  ideals. 

JOSEPH.  She's  getting  disillusioned.  Magnificent 
ideals,  yes,  but  are  they  substantiated  by  deeds?  Aren't 
they  a  little  exotic  under  the  circumstances?  Such  ques 
tions  as  these  are  beginning  to  prick  her  skin. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  Can  she  really  be  losing  her  faith  in 
the  war? 

JOSEPH.  It's  being  jerked  from  her  by  what's  actually 
going  on. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  And  she's  too  honest  to  deny  what 
she  sees.  I'm  sure  of  that. 

JOSEPH.  Troubles  are  coming  her  way  thick  and  fast. 
The  latest  is  that  she's  turned  out  of  her  apartment. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  Why  is  she  turned  out  of  her  apart 
ment? 

JOSEPH.  Well,  ever  since  certain  good  church  ladies 
got  themselves  into  ill  repute  on  account  of  unpatriotic 
actions  at  a  locally  famous  Ladies'  Aid  meeting,  Mother's 
been  under  suspicion.  Although  she  didn't  get  the  glit 
tering  newspaper  headlines  and  the  editorial  roastings 
that  you  did,  still  she  got  enough  publicity  to  start  things. 
Then  I  arrived  in  town  and  began  to  frequent  her  apart 
ment.  Yesterday  the  landlord  told  her  that  there  had 
been  so  much  complaint  from  the  other  tenants  that  he 
was  obliged  to  give  her  notice  to  vacate  on  the  first  of 
the  month.  Of  course  she  thought  she'd  broken  some 
house  rule — left  her  garbage  can  in  the  wrong  place  or 

53 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 

something  of  that  kind — but  no,  there  was  some  dark  and 
sinister  cause  which  she  couldn't  dig  out  of  him  for  quite 
a  while. 

HELEN.  "Suspicion  of  disloyalty."  The  same  parrot 
words,  I'll  warrant.  I  can  hear  him  saying  them  to  her 
just  as  Mr.  Curtis  said  them  to  me  this  morning. 

JOSEPH.  That's  the  formula.  Then  she  told  him  her 
story  as  she  told  it  to  the  women  at  the  church. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  Didn't  it  satisfy  him  to  know  of  her 
son  in  France? 

JOSEPH.  She  has  another  son  who  fights  on  another 
front. 

HELEN.     So  can't  you  see  the  trouble  you're  making? 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  She  shall  come  here.  They  haven't 
taken  our  home  away  from  us  yet  and  she  shall  share  it 
with  us.  I'm  going  right  away  to  get  her. 

JOSEPH.  I  don't  believe  she'll  talk  to  you.  The 
revolution  is  making  inroads  on  her  consciousness  and 
she's  up  in  the  air  trying  to  resist  it. 

HELEN.  Trust  Mother  to  bring  her  down.  Look  at 
her.  She's  beaming  all  over  with  the  prospect  of  getting 
your  mother  solid  for  you. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  We'll  all  be  together  yet.  Isn't  it 
splendid?  And  the  world  will  come  to  our  way  of  think 
ing,  too — sometime.  I  have  the  faith.  (Goes  out  at 
right.} 

HELEN.     Yes,  she  has  the  faith,  but  I  want  the  reality. 

JOSEPH.  We  have  to  make  our  own  reality  out  of 
sheer  ideals  these  days.  Otherwise  we'll  get  only  rank 
realism. 

HELEN.  Ideals,  ideals,  I  hate  them.  They're  noth 
ing  but  vapor,  mist,  smoke. 

JOSEPH.     They're  the  first  draft  of  reality. 

54 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 

HELEN.  Have  them  if  you  want  to,  but  why  not  take 
them  ready  made  from  the  novelty  stock  on  hand  instead 
of  working  up  a  rival  lot  of  your  own  that  only  make  for 
the  reality  of  prison? 

JOSEPH.     My  own  suit  me  best. 

HELEN.  Yours  are  too  futuristic.  What  can  a  hand 
ful  of  Conscientious  Objectors  do  against  a  whole  nation 
singing  psalms  and  waving  palms, — I  mean  singing  the 
Star  Spangled  Banner  and  waving  the  flag — for  a  holy 
war  of  allied  saintliness  against  German  deviltry? 

JOSEPH.  We  can  weaken  the  morale  of  nationalism 
and  form  a  nucleus  for  future  world  citizenship. 

HELEN.  A  nucleus  which  will  be  ground  under  the 
military  boot  heel  till  no  one  will  know  that  it  ever  ex 
isted.  It's  vanity  to  follow  such  ideals  when  there's  noth 
ing  left  in  the  world  but  carnality  and  hatred. 

JOSEPH.     Vanity  or  not,  that's  the  way  I'm  headed. 

HELEN.  Why  do  some  of  us  have  to  be  young  at  this 
time.  Why  can't  we  all  be  old  and  ready  for  death? 

JOSEPH.  We'll  never  be  ready  for  death.  The  old 
men  who  send  the  boys  out  to  do  the  dying  thank  their 
stars  every  day  that  they  don't  have  to  do  it  themselves. 

HELEN.  But  old  people  learn  to  expect  death  and 
naturally  don't  shrink  from  it  as  we  do,  and  yet  the  brunt 
of  it  all  falls  on  us.  I  wasn't  made  for  sacrifice. 

JOSEPH.  Neither  was  I,  but  we  have  to  accept  the 
heritage  of  our  generation. 

HELEN.  A  gloomy  estate,  without  hope  or  beauty  or 
laughter. 

JOSEPH.  Even  so,  the  boon  is  to  us  young  bloods,  for 
we've  got  the  nerve  to  act  and  the  pep  to  make  the  su 
preme  effort  for  whatever  we  believe  in,  while  the  grey 
heads  only  plan  for  us  or  pass  judgment  upon  us  as 

55 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 

they  rot  in  their  easy  chairs. 

HELEN.  And  if  we  believe  in  nothing,  the  boon  is 
nothing. 

JOSEPH.  How  can  we  believe  in  nothing  when  we're 
the  center  of  the  world's  virility?  It's  inevitable  for  us 
to  have  some  purpose  if  we're  truly  alive.  We  may  have 
to  be  sacrificed,  but  we  don't  need  to  take  it  like  sheep. 
We  can  mutiny  against  the  blind  obedience  of  the  mass. 

HELEN.  Why  not  wallow  with  the  mass  in  blood  and 
patriotism?  It's  so  much  easier. 

JOSEPH.  Now,  my  dear  girl,  if  I  thought  you  meant 
half  of  what  you  say,  I'd  stop  arguing  and  clear  out,  but 
I  believe  that  down  in  your  heart  you're  just  as  willing 
as  I  am  to  take  your  chances  with  the  anti-war  crowd. 
You  feel  the  sting  of  it  worse  because  in  a  way  you  get 
it  worse.  I  know  about  what's  coming  to  me,  but  your 
fate  isn't  so  circumscribed. 

HELEN.  Mine  is  circumscribed  by  my  inability  to  feel 
the  confidence  that  you  feel  in  the  worth  of  principles.  I 
think  your  purpose  futile.  I  see  no  future  for  you  or  me 
or  your  stupid  humanity. 

JOSEPH.  Then  let's  live  in  the  present.  It's  time  to 
plunge.  Won't  you  do  it? 

HELEN.  Now,  Joseph,  don't  try  any  more  to  persuade 
me.  I've  told  you  it  isn't  practicable. 

JOSEPH.     We  could  have  a  few  weeks  of  happiness. 

HELEN.     And  then  what? 

JOSEPH.     One  day  at  a  time  is  all  any  one  can  travel. 

HELEN.  No,  I  couldn't  endure  it.  To  be  married 
to  you  and  then  have  you  torn  from  me  by  the  military 
claw  that  has  its  talons  at  all  our  throats — I'm  bitter 
enough  as  it  is. 

JOSEPH.     You  might  forget  your  bitterness. 

56 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 

HELEN.  You're  selfish.  Do  you  think  that  I  could 
keep  on  living  and  working  if  you  were  my  husband  and 
in  prison?  It  would  be  simpler  to  give  you  up  as  a  lost 
hope  and  follow  my  own  course  of  misery. 

JOSEPH.     Helen,  you  say  such  wild  things. 

HELEN.  It's  foolish  to  accept  happiness  when  you 
know  it  must  be  killed. 

JOSEPH.     Can't  it  be  buried  for  future  resurrection? 

HELEN.  I  can't  take  such  a  heroic  step.  I  haven't 
the  moral  courage. 

JOSEPH.  You  had  the  moral  courage  to  object  to  the 
Red  Cross  woman  this  morning. 

HELEN.     That  was  just  an  impulse. 

JOSEPH.     Well,  get  another. 

HELEN.  Now  don't  talk  about  it  any  more.  I've  told 
you,  No,  nearly  every  day  this  week. 

JOSEPH.  All  right.  I  won't  ask  you  again — for  a 
while. 

HELEN.  I  can't  see  your  logic.  Here  you  are  resist 
ing  the  military  authorities  when  you  claim  to  be  an  abso 
lute  Non-resistant. 

JOSEPH.  I'm  not  resisting  the  military  authorities,  not 
in  the  least.  I  don't  have  anything  to  do  with  the  mili 
tary  authorities.  They  can  do  with  me  as  they  please. 
I  refuse  the  draft  and  take  the  consequences. 

HELEN.  You're  neither  one  thing  nor  the  other. 
Why  don't  you  either  obey  them  or  fight  them  with  their 
own  weapons?  If  I  were  refusing  the  draft,  I'd  turn 
and  kill  the  people  who  tried  to  force  it  on  me. 

JOSEPH.     What  good  would  that  do? 

HELEN.     It  would  at  least  be  positive. 

JOSEPH.  If  you  think  Non-resistance  is  negative, 
you're  very  much  mistaken.  In  the  event  of  war  it's  a 

57 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 

direct  affront  to  the  system  that  lines  up  one  nationality 
of  working  men  against  another  and  tells  them  to  kill 
each  other.  "I  won't"  is  more  positive  than  "I  will" 
when  the  world's  going  headlong  to  destruction. 

HELEN.     But  "I  won't"  is  resistance. 

JOSEPH.  No,  resistance  is  collision  with  another  force, 
a  reciprocal  "I'll  down  you."  Non-resistance  is  withheld 
force.  It  neither  attacks  nor  defends.  It  stands.  It  is 
utterly  immovable  unless  it  has  free  play.  Then  it's  the 
sporting  energy  of  creative  evolution.  In  time  of  stress 
it's  the  staying  instinct  of  humanity. 

HELEN.  Humanity — that  torpid  beast  that  has  no  in 
stinct  higher  than  to  besot  itself  with  war. 

JOSEPH.  Ultimately  humanity  will  know  itself  and 
will  cease  destroying  itself. 

HELEN.     You're  too  vague  and  abstract. 

JOSEPH.  At  close  range  humanity  does  seem  rather 
sluggish,  I'll  admit. 

HELEN.     Then  you're  a  pessimist,  after  all. 

JOSEPH.     No,  not  ultimately. 

HELEN.  I'm  not  concerned  with  ultimately.  I'm 
talking  about  now. 

JOSEPH.  I  wanted  to  talk  about  now,  but  you  wouldn't 
let  me.  You  switched  me  off  onto  ultimately. 

HELEN.  Don't  tamper  with  now,  it's  dangerous.  It's 
death. 

JOSEPH.  Socrates  says,  "Life  proceeds  from  death." 
Let's  experiment  on  that  theory  (Goes  to  her  and  takes  her 
hand.)  Helen,  you're  fighting  against  your  own  desire. 
We  should  have  been  married  long  ago.  Why  do  you  put 
it  off  any  longer? 

HELEN.     I'm  afraid  of  the  crash. 

JOSEPH.     My  court-martial? 

53 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 

HELEN.     I  can't  meet  it. 

JOSEPH.  Then  shall  we  break  off?  (Walks  away 
from  her.)  I'll  go  away  forever  if  you  say  so.  (Looks 
at  her  enquiringly.  As  she  makes  no  answer  he  continues 
quietly.)  I  think  I've  told  you  of  my  Irish  great-grand 
parents  who  had  a  son  who  renounced  the  faith  of  his 
fathers.  He  was  disinherited  and  his  birth  entry  erased 
from  the  family  records.  He  faced  his  destiny  alone.  I 
guess  I  can  if  I  have  to.  He  was  my  grandfather. 

HELEN  (running  up  to  him).  No,  no,  Joseph,  I  love 
you.  But,  oh,  Joseph,  (her  voice  shakes  with  emotion), 
my  body  is  cold  as  if  it  were  wrapped  in  a  shroud.  Your 
ideals — they  benumb  me.  I  know  you're  right,  but  I 
can't  be  like  you.  I  can't  be  a  concrete  wall  withstand 
ing  the  coercion  of  the  government  and  the  assaults  of 
the  mob.  I'm  of  common,  ordinary,  mortal  clay,  and  I 
have  to  crawl  to  shelter  on  my  stomach  and  hide  behind 
the  laws  of  the  land  when  I  can't  uphold  them. 

JOSEPH.  You  can  do  anything,  Helen,  for  you  have 
the  courage  to  express  your  doubts.  (Kisses  her  gently.) 
You  will? 

HELEN  (turning  from  him  as  if  suddenly  worried). 
What  about  Mother? — and  your  mother? 

JOSEPH.  Let  them  take  care  of  each  other  for  a 
while.  It  won't  be  long. 

HELEN  (goes  to  the  table  and  picks  up  her  school  note 
books).  Look  at  this.  I've  got  all  these  reports  to  hand 
in  to  the  new  teacher. 

JOSEPH.  Why  do  you  have  to  hand  in  reports  when 
you've  been  thrown  out  of  school? 

HELEN.  Oh,  it  wouldn't  be  right  to  let  them  go.  It 
wouldn't  be  right  to  the  children.  The  children  didn't 
throw  me  out. 

59 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 

JOSEPH.  Who  says  you  haven't  got  a  conscience? 
Bring  your  reports  along.  We'll  do  them  together. 
(Picks  up  a  note  book  and  looks  into  it.) 

HELEN  (laughing).  What  does  a  mechanical  drafts 
man  know  about  sixth  grade  geography  and  arithmetic? 

JOSEPH  (turning  over  the  pages).  I'll  study  them 
while  you  go  and  pack  your  suit  case. 

HELEN.     Now?     Do  you  mean  this  afternoon? 

JOSEPH.     What's  the  use  in  waiting? 

HELEN.  Oh,  there's  so  much  to  think  of.  Who  will 
we  get  to  marry  us?  I  don't  want  any  war  ranting  min 
ister  to  bless  our  union. 

JOSEPH.  We  can  get  a  justice  at  the  court  house  when 
we  go  for  the  license.  (Looking  at  the  clock.)  And 
you'd  better  hurry  up,  for  I  have  t6  catch  the  five  o'clock 
train  tonight  and  I  don't  want  to  go  alone. 

HELEN.  But  how  horrible  it  seems  to  be  married  in 
a  court  room. 

JOSEPH.  If  we  were  anarchists  we  might  marry  our 
selves,  but  as  socially  conscious  beings  we  believe  in  so 
ciety's  right  to  a  record,  don't  we? 

HELEN.  I'm  not  interested  enough  in  society  to  ques 
tion  its  right  to  anything.  I  follow  its  dictates  as  the 
easiest  way  out. 

JOSEPH.  In  the  universal  commune  where  marriage 
will  not  be  commercial,  society  won't  have  to  worry  so 
much  about  marriage  and  divorce. 

HELEN.  I  care  nothing  about  your  universal  com 
mune.  In  it  or  out  of  it  I  marry  for  life. 

JOSEPH.     It's  human  nature  to  marry  for  life. 

HELEN.     But  not  the  fashion  now. 

JOSEPH.  The  universal  commune  will  give  human 
nature  a  chance.  Sex  perversion  will  have  to  abate  with 

60 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 

the  elimination  of  the  idle  rich  and  the  economic  inde 
pendence  of  women. 

HELEN.  Women's  status  is  advancing.  We  are  grad 
uating  from  chattels  of  men  to  chattels  of  war.  As  the 
latter,  we  are  graciously  permitted  to  marry  for  a  day 
that  the  race  may  be  replenished.  Then  our  husbands 
are  wrenched  away  from  us  and  driven  into  war  or 
thrown  into  prison,  while  we  are  left  to  an  "economic  in 
dependence"  that  doesn't  bode  well  for  the  next  genera 
tion. 

JOSEPH.  The  next  generation  will  have  to  get  us  out 
of  this  economic  and  military  slavery  if  we  can't  do  it  in 
our  day. 

HELEN.  I  don't  believe  in  begetting  the  next  genera 
tion  while  the  world's  in  this  hell. 

JOSEPH.  How  can  this  hell  be  subdued  except  through 
conscious  loving  procreation?  The  world  needs  a  new 
breed  of  human  beings. 

HELEN.     So  you're  not  an  up-to-date  birth-controllist? 

JOSEPH.  Rational  people  have  no  need  of  artificial 
birth  control. 

HELEN  (going  to  the  writing  desk}.  But  then  the 
conflict  of  Deus  Homo  and  the  natural  man.  However, 
let  it  rest  for  the  present.  I'll  write  a  note  to  Mother 
and  then  I'll  get  ready.  (Door  bell  rings.)  Oh,  Joseph, 
go  to  the  door,  I'm  too  busy.  (  JOSEPH  goes  to  the  door.) 

MRS.  CALKINS  (rushes  in).  Oh  Helen,  where's  your 
mother?  I  think  I'm  going  to  get  it  fixed  up  all  right 
about  Dick. 

HELEN.  You  always  were  a  lucky  girl,  Katherine. 
How  did  you  do  it? 

MRS.  CALKINS.  I  telephoned  to  Father's  lawyer  and 
he's  either  going  to  get  him  exempted  or  into  the  hos- 

61 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 

pital  corps  or  something.  I'm  so  relieved.  I  feel  ten 
years  younger. 

HELEN.  I  congratulate  you.  You  haven't  met  my 
friend,  Mr.  McConnell,  I  believe.  Mrs.  Calkins,  this  is 
Mr.  McConnell. 

MRS.  CALKINS  (going  up  to  him  and  shaking  hands 
while  HELEN  turns  back  to  her  writing}.  Oh,  Mr.  Mc 
Connell,  I'm  so  glad  to  meet  you.  I've  heard  so  much 
about  you  and  read  about  you  in  the  papers,  too,  and  I've 
been  so  curious  to  see  what  you  looked  like.  (Looks  him 
over.)  So  you're  the  slacker  they  tell  about. 

HELEN.  Rub  it  into  him,  Katherine.  (Leaves  the 
note  on  the  table.)  You'll  excuse  me  a  few  minutes, 
won't  you?  (Goes  out  at  right.) 

MRS.  CALKINS  (sitting  down  leisurely).  You're  not 
at  all  my  idea  of  a  slacker. 

JOSEPH.     Thank  you. 

MRS.  CALKINS.  I  was  thinking  of  going  to  see  you 
to  get  you  to  help  me  about  Dick,  my  husband.  You 
know  he  almost  got  drafted,  but  I'm  so  encouraged  now. 
I  think  it's  going  to  come  out  all  right.  We  were  con 
sidering  his  being  a  Conscience — there,  I've  forgotten 
that  name  again. 

JOSEPH.     Conscientious  Objector? 

MRS.  CALKINS.  Yes,  but  of  course  the  kind  that  the 
government  sanctions, — the  kind  that  are  allowed  to  wear 
the  uniform  and  do  service  but  don't  have  to  get  into  the 
actual  fighting.  That's  so  horrid,  and  those  that  help 
in  other  ways  are  just  as  important  in  winning  the  war. 
Still,  I've  heard  people  say  that  all  Conscientious  Ob 
jectors  are  slackers.  Tell  me,  are  they? 

JOSEPH.  Some  of  us  are  very  slack  in  obeying  mil 
itary  orders. 

62 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 

MRS.  CALKINS.  Now,  my  husband  isn't  a  slacker  at 
all.  We're  both  extremely  patriotic.  We  adore  the 
flag  and  worship  our  country,  but  we  have  a  child  and 
everybody  knows  it  isn't  right  for  a  married  man  to  risk 
his  life  and  put  his  child  in  danger  of  orphanhood  unless 
it's  absolutely  necessary.  There  are  still  plenty  of  un 
married  men  who  could  go.  There's  you,  for  instance. 
There's  no  excuse  for  you  not  going. 

JOSEPH.     I  offer  no  excuse. 

MRS.  CALKINS.  I  don't  quite  understand  about  you. 
You're  not  a  church  member,  they  say. 

JOSEPH.     They  speak  the  truth. 

MRS.  CALKINS.  Now,  I'm  told  that  to  get  in  with 
the  regular  Conscientious  Objectors  you  not  only  have  to 
be  a  church  member  but  a  member  of  some  queer  kind 
of  a  church.  Our  church  isn't  on  the  list  it  seems,  so 
Dick  couldn't  be  an  applicant.  If  he  couldn't,  then  how 
in  the  world  can  you? 

JOSEPH.     I'm  not  an  applicant. 

MRS.   CALKINS.     Then  what  are  you  any  way? 

JOSEPH.     A  slacker.     Didn't  the  papers  say  so? 

MRS.  CALKINS.  Yes,  I  know  they  did,  but  I'm  trying 
to  think  the  best  of  you  for  Helen's  sake.  One  does  hear 
awful  things  about  you.  You  know  they  even  say  that 
you're  an  anarchist  and  want  to  overthrow  the  govern 
ment — with  bombs. 

JOSEPH.  I  don't  like  bombs.  I'm  working  on  another 
modus  operandi. 

MRS.  CALKINS.  But  why  should  the  government  be 
overthrown  at  all?  Don't  you  know  that  this  is  the 
freest  and  best  government  in  the  whole  world?  Though 
I'm  a  Republican  and  naturally  don't  like  the  Democrats 
very  well,  still  we're  all  united  on  the  war,  except,  of 

63 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 

course,  you  terrible  Socialists,  who  even  want  to  break 
up  the  home. 

JOSEPH.     We're  a  bad  lot,  I  know. 

MRS.  CALKINS.  The  home  is  the  foundation  of  so 
ciety  and  should  not  be  broken  up. 

JOSEPH.  I  agree  with  you.  It  should  not  be  broken 
up. 

MRS.  CALKINS.  Do  you  believe  that  all  the  money 
in  the  world  should  be  divided  up  equally  among  all  the 
people?  Why,  if  that  was  done  it  wouldn't  be  any  time 
till  it  was  all  back  in  the  same  hands  again.  My  hus 
band  explained  that  point  to  me.  They  discuss  all  those 
deep  questions  at  the  golf  club. 

JOSEPH.     The  golf  club  has  come  to  a  wise  conclusion. 

MRS.   CALKINS.     Well,  then  what  do  you  believe? 

JOSEPH.  I  believe  that  golf  is  an  unproductive  occu 
pation. 

MRS.  CALKINS.  Golf  is  a  very  healthful  exercise. 
Any  doctor  will  tell  you  that. 

JOSEPH.  Then  give  the  working  man  a  shot  at  it 
sometimes.  Open  up  the  clubs  to  the  public. 

MRS.   CALKINS.    Why,  there  isn't  room  for  everybody. 

JOSEPH.  Some  day  they  will  have  to  make  room  for 
everybody. 

MRS.  CALKINS.  We  don't  all  occupy  the  same  posi 
tion  in  society.  What  would  the  working  men  do  if  it 
wasn't  for  the  rich  men  to  give  them  work? 

JOSEPH.  What  would  the  rich  men  do  if  it  wasn't 
for  the  working  men  to  make  them  rich? 

MRS.  CALKINS.  You  certainly  do  have  funny  ideas. 
I  suppose  if  you  had  your  way,  you'd  make  everybody 
work. 

JOSEPH.     Yes,  and  I'd  let  everybody  play,  too.    Don't 

64 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 

you  think  that  work  and  play  should  be  divided  up  a 
little? 

MRS.  CALKINS.  Some  people  aren't  strong  enough  to 
work.  My  husband  isn't.  You  know  he  almost  didn't 
pass  the  physical  examination  for  the  army  and  then  he 
got  better  and  did. 

JOSEPH.  Playing  golf  put  him  into  condition,  I  sup 
pose.  Maybe  a  little  plowing  would  have  done  the  same. 

MRS.  CALKINS.  But  I  didn't  want  him  to  get  too 
strong  on  account  of  the  draft.  There's  the  baby  to 
think  of.  Dick  is  a  husband  and  father. 

JOSEPH.  Aren't  the  working  men  husbands  and 
fathers? 

MRS.  CALKINS.  But  you're  not.  It's  your  duty  to 
go  and  protect  those  that  are  needed  at  home.  It's  cow 
ardly  for  a  big,  strong  man  like  you  to  try  to  keep  out 
of  fighting. 

JOSEPH.  I'm  not  trying  to  keep  out  of  fighting.  I'm 
merely  refusing  to  fight. 

MRS.  CALKINS.  I  don't  see  what  the  difference  is. 
You're  refusing  to  defend  your  country  and  your  flag 
when  you  have  nothing  to  keep  you  back. 

JOSEPH.      I  have  something  to  keep  me  back. 

MRS.  CALKINS.     I'd  like  to  know  what  it  is. 

JOSEPH.      I  don't  believe  in  countries  and  flags. 

MRS.  CALKINS.  Well,  you  deserve  to  be  punished, 
and  I  don't  see  how  Helen  can  listen  to  such  talk — and 
yet  you  haven't  talked  half  as  bad  as  I  expected  from 
what  I  heard  about  you.  You  really  kind  of  mix  me  up. 

HELEN  (who  has  just  come  in  carrying  a  suit  case). 
Don't  listen  to  his  talk,  Katherine.  He's  enough  to  mix 
anybody  up.  I've  got  so  I  don't  pay  any  attention  to 
what  he  says.  (Takes  her  hat  and  coat  from  the  chair 

65 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 

where  she  left  them  and  puts  them  on  hurriedly.} 

MRS.   CALKINS.     I  should  think  not. 

HELEN.  But  he's  promised  to  carry  my  suit  case  over 
to  the  car,  so  we'll  have  to  leave  you.  You  just  make 
yourself  at  home  and  wait  until  Mother  comes  back.  I 
think  she'll  be  back  soon. 

MRS.   CALKINS.     Where  are  you  going? 

HELEN.     Off  for  a  little  vacation. 

MRS.  CALKINS.     Is  school  out? 

HELEN.     It  is  for  me. 

JOSEPH  (picking  up  the  suit  case).  Good-bye,  Mrs. 
Calkins.  I  wish  you  good  luck  with  the  draft  board. 
(HELEN  and  JOSEPH  go  out.) 

MRS.  CALKINS  (spies  the  note  that  HELEN  has  left 
for  her  mother.  Picks  it  up  and  looks  at  it  curiously. 
Goes  to  the  window  and  peers  out).  Now,  what  are 
they  up  to?  (Comes  back  and  examines  the  note  again, 
trying  to  look  into  it  without  opening  it.)  There's  some 
mystery  about  it.  (Goes  again  to  the  window.)  He's 
getting  on  the  car  with  her.  There  they  go  together. 
(Comes  forward  and  drops  into  a  chair  with  an  expres 
sion  of  disgust  on  her  face.)  That's  no  war  wedding. 
He's  nothing  but  a  slacker.  He  confessed  it.  Think  of 
marrying  a  man  not  in  uniform! 

ACT    III 

Winter  of  1918. 

Kitchen  of  the  SCHWEITZER  home.  At  the  right  is  a 
cooking  stove  and  near  it  a  sink  and  a  cupboard.  At  the  left 
is  the  outside  door,  and  in  the  rear  a  door  leading  to  an 
other  room.  At  the  left  of  the  rear  door  there  is  a  large 
chest  of  drawers  upon  which  stands  a  photograph  of  a 

66 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 

young  man  in  uniform.  A  small  American  flag  set  in  a  vase 
is  placed  close  to  the  photograph.  In  the  middle  of  the  room 
a  table  is  partly  set  for  supper.  GROSSMUTTER  SCHWEIT 
ZER  in  a  wheel  chair  sits  at  the  left  of  the  table  knitting 
army  socks.  At  the  right  MR.  SCHWEITZER  in  working 
clothes  sits  reading  a  letter.  MRS.  SCHWEITZER  is  pass 
ing  back  and  forth  setting  the  table  and  preparing  supper. 

MR.  SCHWEITZER.  Somewhere  in  France,  always 
somewhere  in  France.  Why  can't  we  never  know  where 
the  boy  is? 

MRS.  SCHWEITZER.  Father,  haven't  you  ever  learned 
not  to  ask  yet,  "why,"  when  it's  war? 

MR.  SCHWEITZER.  I'd  ought  to.  I'd  ought  to  know 
by  now  that  fathers  and  mothers  is  nothing.  He's  not 
ours  no  more.  They've  took  him  off  and  they've  got  him 
where  they  want  him  and  we  better  make  our  minds  up 
that  the  front  line's  not  going  backwards  away  from  him. 

MRS.  SCHWEITZER.     But  he  says  still  he's  all  right. 

MR.  SCHWEITZER.  It's  a  plain  lie.  They  make  'em 
say  that.  They  won't  let  'em  write  nothing  home  but 
that. 

MRS.  SCHWEITZER.  It  is  strange  his  letter — what  he 
says  about  we  don't  know  what  they  know  that's  there 
and  he  can't  tell  us.  What  does  he  mean  so,  Father? 

MR.  SCHWEITZER  (bitterly).  He  means  it's  hell. 
That's  what  he  means. 

MRS.  SCHWEITZER.  He  never  before  wrote  so  short 
letters  to  us  like  this  one.  Nothing  to  write,  he  says. 
Only  one  side  of  the  paper  he  fills  up. 

MR.  SCHWEITZER.  I  know  the  boy's  heart's  aching 
to  tell  us  something  that  he  can't.  There's  something 
happened  or  —  (significantly)  going  to  happen. 

MRS.  SCHWEITZER.     Oh    Heinrich,  you    frighten    all 

67 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 

through  me. 

MR.  SCHWEITZER.  Look  how  queer  like  he  writes  on 
the  page. 

MRS.  SCHWEITZER  (taking  the  letter).  It's  crooked  the 
lines  like  he  was  sick. 

MR.  SCHWEITZER.     Sick!     It's  worse  than  sick. 

MRS.  SCHWEITZER.  But  he  hasn't  been  to  the  hospital 
ever  yet. 

MR.  SCHWEITZER.  Then  it's  something  coming  he 
sees  and  can't  get  from  it  away,  like  watching  the  water 
fill  the  ship  when  you're  tied  on  it.  That's  why  there's 
nothing  for  to  write. 

MRS.  SCHWEITZER.     Oh  God,  will  he  come  ever  back? 

MR.  SCHWEITZER.  Who  cares  but  us  if  he  comes  back 
or  not  comes  back?  To  them — them  that's  running  things 
— what's  any  of  the  soldiers  but  gun  feed? 

MRS.  SCHWEITZER.  Father,  you  must  not  so  speak. 
You  fill  always  my  mind  with  frightfulness. 

GROSSMUTTER.     Was  sagt  der  Junge  in  seinem  Brief? 

MRS.  SCHWEITZER  (going  to  the  stove).  Tell  her, 
Heinrich. 

MR.  SCHWEITZER  (goes  to  his  mother  and  shouts  in 
her  ear) .  Nicht  viel.  Er  ist  gesund.  Er  sended  seine 
Gruesse  Grossmutter. 

GROSSMUTTER.  Gott  erhalte  ihn.  (Continues  knit 
ting.) 

MR.  SCHWEITZER  (walking  up  and  down  the  room 
nervously).  He's  been  a  long  time  already  somewhere 
in  France,  and  still  all  the  time  all  right.  There  where  the 
guns  are  working  day  and  night — it  don't  sound  straight. 
Sixty  miles  from  the  front  he  writes  since  last  month,  but 
I  tell  you  it's  now  no  sixty  miles  lays  between  him  from 
no  man's  land. 

68 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 

MRS.  SCHWEITZER.  But  what  good  is  it  studying  out 
about  where  he  is?  There's  nothing  for  us  now  left  but 
to  pray.  Only  God  can  see  where  he  is. 

MR.  SCHWEITZER.  I  tell  you  God  ain't  in  this  mess. 
It's  the  devil's  own  work.  God's  blinded  from  the  red 
smoke  spouting  in  his  eyes  or  he's  lying  unconscious  some 
where  on  the  battle  field.  Anyway,  he's  clear  beat,  so 
there's  no  use  bothering  him  with  praying. 

MRS.  SCHWEITZER.  Heinrich,  you  blaspheme. 
(Speaking  quietly  as  she  stirs  the  supper  on  the  stove.) 
Tomorrow  I  send  him  all  what  he  asks  for  in  the  letter. 

MR.  SCHWEITZER.     What  does  he  ask  for? 

MRS.  SCHWEITZER.     Nothing  but  cigarettes. 

MR.  SCHWEITZER.  Cigarettes — that's  all  they  any  of 
'em  wants.  Cigarettes  to  forget  their  misery.  There's 
something  out  of  gear  in  the  world  when  whole  millions 
of  men  don't  want  nothing  but  cigarettes  and  can't  live 
a  minute  without  'em. 

MRS.  SCHWEITZER.  Also  I  send  him  the  socks.  Gross- 
mutter  tomorrow  has  another  pair  ready.  She  knits  al 
ways  for  him. 

MR.  SCHWEITZER  (excitedly).  Likely  before  he  gets 
the  socks  his  legs  will  be  blowed  off. 

MRS.  SCHWEITZER  (screams).  Father,  quit  such  ter 
rible  words.  My  mind  it  will  be  all  gone. 

MR.  SCHWEITZER.  He's  up  next  to  a  battle.  I  know 
he  is.  I  know  it  how  his  letter  sounds. 

MRS.  SCHWEITZER.  No,  no,  you  speak  to  frighten  me. 
You  know  nothing.  Pray,  Heinrich,  pray.  Always  we 
must  pray. 

MR.  SCHWEITZER.  Curses  on  them,  curses  on  them! — 
them  that  knows  what's  going  on,  them  that  bosses  the 
job,  them  that  never  sees  a  battle  but  sits  back  where  it's 

69 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 

safe  and  clean  and  says,  "Tomorrow  we've  got  to  take 
some  more  miles  of  enemy  trench.  It'll  cost  us  about  ten 
thousand  men,"  they  say  like  they  was  figuring  bank  notes. 
Then  they  orders  men  shipped  to  this  place  out  and  to  that 
place  back  like  they  was  material  for  the  job  they've  con 
tracted  for. 

MRS.  SCHWEITZER.  I  don't  deny  it,  but  I  dassent 
think  of  it.  Nobody  can  think  when  it's  war. 

MR.  SCHWEITZER.  So  long  as  we've  got  brains  we've 
got  to  think.  You  talk  like  we  was  dummies,  Anna. 

MRS.  SCHWEITZER.  We  must  so  make  ourselves.  If 
we  do  not  so  make  ourselves  to  think  always  what  they 
say,  then  they  destroy  us. 

MR.  SCHWEITZER.  It's  the  interests,  I  tell  you.  It's 
the  interests  makes  this  war.  They've  got  to  make  their 
loans  safe  if  it  takes  all  the  working  people  in  the  coun 
try.  When  they  get  the  boys  all  killed  off,  then  they'll 
draft  the  old  labor  stiffs  and  maybe  end  up  with  the  girls. 
Wall  Street's  got  to  be  protected. 

MRS.  SCHWEITZER.  It's  all  the  government's  bidding, 
ain't  it? 

MR.  SCHWEITZER.  Yes,  but  the  government's  sold  out 
to  the  interests, — the  interests  that's  willing  to  make 
money  out  of  human  lives.  Curses  on  them ! 

MRS.  SCHWEITZER.  Heinrich,  be  still  with  your 
mouth.  You  will  bring  the  curses  upon  us  down  if  you 
so  anger  yourself.  It  is  all  true  what  you  say,  maybe,  but 
since  yesterday  you  spoke  such  words  at  the  shipyard  I 
have  been  always  fearing  for  us  all.  They  will  get  you 
and  put  you  in  jail. 

MR.  SCHWEITZER.  What  I  said  at  the  shipyard? 
That  wasn't  nothing  but  what  I  had  a  right  to  say.  For 
get  it,  Anna.  (Sitting  down  again  at  the  table.)  Isn't 

70 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 

supper  yet  ready? 

MRS.  SCHWEITZER.  Soon  it  is  ready.  (Worriedly.) 
Why  couldn't  you  not  talk  at  the  shipyard? 

MR.  SCHWEITZER.  I  didn't  say  nothing  they  could  get 
me  for. 

MRS.  SCHWEITZER.  Every  day  now  they  arrest  Ger 
mans.  You  cannot  speak  one  word  if  you  are  Germans  in 
America. 

MR.  SCHWEITZER.  But  that  one  armed  soldier  mak 
ing  a  speech  to  the  shipyard  men  hadn't  no  right  to  call 
the  Germans  beasts. 

MRS.  SCHWEITZER.  He's  got  the  right  to  do  anything 
I  suppose  so  long  as  he's  with  the  government. 

MR.  SCHWEITZER.  I  only  said  it  was  a  lie  what  he 
said  about  the  Germans. 

MRS.  SCHWEITZER.  But  you're  German  and  you  das- 
sent  say  anything's  a  lie  no  matter  if  it's  ten  lies.  They'll 
get  you. 

MR.  SCHWEITZER.  If  they  arrest  me  for  that,  well 
this  ain't  the  country  I've  always  took  it  for. 

MRS.  SCHWEITZER.  Nothing's  what  we  took  it  for 
before  the  war. 

MR.  SCHWEITZER.  Why,  that  fellow  was  saying  such 
things  that  had  to  be  denied  by  somebody.  He  was  telling 
about  baiting  Germans  and  sticking  the  bayonets  into  their 
fat  bellies  and  hearing  them  squeal  like  stuck  pigs  in  the 
slaughter  house.  He  said  that  no  German  was  better 
than  a  hog  anyhow  and  baiting  'em  was  good  sport. 

MRS.  SCHWEITZER.  Well,  didn't  the  men  like  to  hear 
what  he  spoke? 

MR.  SCHWEITZER.  They  laughed  and  clapped  like 
they  did. 

MRS.  SCHWEITZER.     Then  what  was  your  business  to 


71 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 

say  different? 

MR.  SCWEITZER.  All  I  said  was  that  Germans  wasn't 
hogs  no  more  than  he  was  calling  'em  that.  Nobody  heard 
me  but  the  men  right  close. 

MRS.  SCHWEITZER.  That's  sedition  language.  I  know 
it  is.  Everything  that  doesn't  agree  with  all  what  they 
say  is  sedition  language.  I  learned  that  already  since  a 
long  time. 

MR.  SCHWEITZER.  And  he  talked  about  bagging  Ger 
mans  with  aeroplanes  like  they  was  ducks  or  something. 
I  coudn't  stand  it. 

MRS.  SCHWEITZER.  You've  got  to  stand  it.  You've 
got  to  pretend  like  you  like  it.  What  becomes  of  us  if  you 
get  in  jail  taken  away,  me  without  a  husband  or  a  son 
either  and  Grossmutter  old  and  helpless  so?  I  wish  you 
hadn't  ever  got  work  at  the  shipyard  even  if  the  wages  is 
better.  You'd  ought  to  have  stayed  with  the  street  paving 
job,  where  they  don't  have  war  speeches  all  the  time  be 
fore  the  men. 

MR.  SCHWEITZER.  It's  the  same  about  on  all  jobs 
now.  You've  got  to  listen  to  war  hollering  and  have  your 
wages  held  back  for  liberty  bonds  wherever  you  work.  Be 
sides  they  ain't  paving  streets  no  more;  they're  killing 
Huns.  Dirt  roads  is  good  enough  till  they  get  through 
with  that.  But  there's  plenty  of  people  paving  the  inside 
of  their  pockets  out  of  the  Hun  killing  just  the  same. 

MRS.  SCHWEITZER.  You  have  no  care  for  your 
tongue,  Heinrich,  and  the  federal  officers  is  everywhere, 
especially  at  the  shipyard. 

MR.  SCHWEITZER.  Well,  if  they  want  to  take  me 
they'll  have  to  take  me  for  it's  all  said  now.  But  ain't 
you  as  bad  as  me  when  you  didn't  salute  the  flag  down 
there  at  that  church  meeting  with  a  pack  of  howling  wo- 

72 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 

men? 

MRS.  SCHWEITZER.  That's  what  learned  me  my  les 
son.  Now  I  do  all  what  they  say. 

MR.  SCHWEITZER.  Well,  if  I  can't  say  what's  the 
plain  truth  and  nothing  more  nor  nothing  less  than  the 
plain  truth  it's  too  bad,  but  I  know  everyone's  suspicion- 
ing  everybody  else  most  of  the  time  since  the  war. 

MRS.  SCHWEITZER.  Doesn't  the  government  tell  them 
to?  Haven't  you  seen  the  adds,  all  around  on  the  maga 
zine  covers  and  in  the  street  cars  and  everywhere  telling 
everybody  to  look  out  for  the  people  next  to  them  and 
report  them  if  they  gets  a  chance?  I've  seen  women 
looking  at  each  other  knitting  together  in  the  park  like 
they  wished  they  could  catch  each  other  somehow.  Every 
body's  supposed  to  think  everybody  else  is  a  German  spy. 

MR.  SCHWEITZER.     The  women — they've  gone  nuts. 

MRS.  SCHWEITZER.  They're  each  one  fighting  for 
their  own  son,  that's  all.  Isn't  a  woman's  own  flesh  and 
blood  the  first  thing  all  the  time  what  she  thinks  about? 

MR.  SCHWEITZER.  Why  don't  they  think  some  of  the 
time  about  what's  behind  all  this  murdering? 

MRS.  SCHWEITZER.  Because  they  don't  care.  They 
want  to  see  their  own  boy  again.  That's  all  what  they 
care  about. 

MR.  SCHWEITZER.  Then  they'd  better  pray  like  you 
said  a  while  ago. 

MRS.  SCHWEITZER.  They  do  pray.  They  pray  and 
pray  and  pray,  but  when  the  praying's  over  the  war's  still 
going  on  and  there's  nothing  with  any  mother  but  the 
craving  that  she  wants  her  boy  back  and  she  don't  care 
who's  killed  so  long  as  it  isn't  him.  And  when  it  comes 
in  her  mind  what  danger  he's  in,  something  swells  up  in 
her  and  she  says  all  secret  to  herself  that  if  it's  killing 

73 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 

others  will  bring  her  boy  back,  why  kill  them,  kill  all  of 
them  and  send  every  other  mother's  boy  in  the  country 
over  to  get  killed  in  place  of  hers,  and  who  wins  the  war 
or  loses  it  doesn't  make  no  matter  so  long  as  her  boy's 
brought  back  to  her  all  right. 

MR.  SCHWEITZER.  I  suppose  that's  why  the  women 
are  the  last  ones  that  wants  the  war  to  come  but  the 
strongest  for  fighting  it  after  it's  come.  If  the  women 
ain't  so  fierce  as  the  men  by  nature  you'd  think  they  was 
when  there's  a  war  on. 

MRS.  SCHWEITZER.  They  carried  their  own  in  their 
wombs  and  they  didn't  carry  none  but  their  own. 

MR.  SCHWEITZER.  I  guess  you're  right.  It's  their 
own  they're  praying  for  every  time. 

MRS.  SCHWEITZER.  And  their  own  they're  secretly 
thinking  about  when  they  say  country.  If  they've  got 
nobody  of  their  own  to  fear  for  they  don't  have  the  same 
look  in  their  eyes  nor  the  same  sound  in  their  voices  when 
they  talk  about  patriotism. 

MR.  SCHWEITZER.  That  kind  talks  patriotism  be 
cause  it's  the  style,  ain't  it,  like  high  heels  or  anything? 

MRS.  SCHWEITZER.  Yes,  but  do  the  men  always  talk 
so  truly  about  loving  their  country? 

MR.  SCHWEITZER.     It's  business  with  the  men. 

MRS.  SCHWEITZER.  Then  it  seems  like  patriotism's 
a  cheat  all  through. 

MR.  SCHWEITZER.  Maybe  when  a  man  lives  always 
in  the  same  place  where  he  was  born  and  doesn't  know 
nothing  about  any  other  country,  he's  straight  in  his 
patriotism,  but  then  they  don't  know  how  small  is  one 
country  in  the  whole  world.  The  man  that's  sure  got 
the  love  of  his  fellowmen  in  his  heart  ain't  stopping  with 
his  own  country. 

74 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 

MRS.  SCHWEITZER.  I  know  it's  not  so  that  a  woman 
loves  her  country  more  than  her  own  son.  If  she  does 
she  is  strange  to  Nature.  If  she  loves  her  son  so  great 
that  she  feels  sympathy  that  other  mothers  also  love 
their  sons  the  same  and  suffer  the  same  as  her,  then  she  is 
not  strange  to  Nature,  but  also  then  patriotism  is  too 
small. 

MR.  SCHWEITZER.  So  great  sympathy  is  of  the  future 
time,  far  away  from  today.  Today  is  only  to  hate  what 
is  not  of  the  same  race  or  language  or  color. 

MRS.  SCHWEITZER.  Yes,  so  fearful  is  patriotism.  But 
come  eat  supper  now. 

(She  puts  the  supper  on  the  table  and  arranges  GROSS- 
MUTTER'S  chair  before  the  table.  All  are  seated  and  begin 
supper. ) 

MR.  SCHWEITZER.  It's  a  long  day  to  go  back  to  ten 
hours  again.  A  man  comes  home  too  tired  to  be  hungry. 

MRS.  SCHWEITZER.  You  said  the  men  wasn't  going 
to  accept  to  change  again  from  eight  hours.  Why  did 
they? 

MR.  SCHWEITZER.  Because  men's  nothing  but  sheep 
any  way.  That's  why.  Whether  it's  to  work  or  to  kill 
they'll  do  what  they're  told  to. 

MRS.  SCHWEITZER.  Listen,  somebody  comes  up  the 
steps. 

MR.  SCHWEITZER.  Don't  be  so  scared  at  every  little 
sound  you  hear,  Anna.  What  if  there  does? 

MRS.  SCHWEITZER.  Oh,  it  so  frightens  me.  (Foot 
steps  and  voices  are  heard  outside — then  a  heavy  knock.) 
Go  see  who  comes,  Father. 

(MR.  SCHWEITZER  opens  the  door.  Two  police  of 
ficers — SERGEANT  MURRY  and  OFFICER  GREEN — enter.) 

SERGEANT  MURRY  (gruffly).    Does  Henry  Schweitzer 

75 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 

live  here? 

MR.  SCHWEITZER.     I  am  Henry  Schweitzer. 

SERGEANT  MURRY  (showing  him  a  legal  paper).  I 
have  a  warrant  here  for  the  arrest  of  Henry  Schweitzer. 

MR.  SCHWEITZER.     What  for?  please  to  tell  me. 

SERGEANT  MURRY.  On  a  charge  of  disturbing  the 
peace.  (Takes  him  by  the  arm.)  You  are  under  arrest. 

MRS.  SCHWEITZER  (running  to  him  in  fear).  Oh, 
Heinrich,  Heinrich! 

SERGEANT  MURRY  (exhibiting  another  paper).  Here's 
a  search  warrant,  too,  and  we're  going  to  make  a  clean 
job  of  this  Hun  joint,  you  bet  yer  life.  ( To  OFFICER 
GREEN).  Go  to  it,  Harry.  (OFFICER  GREEN  goes  to 
the  chest  of  drawers  and  begins  to  look  through  it.) 

MRS.  SCHWEITZER.  Oh,  don't  take  him  away.  What 
has  he  done  wrong?  He  is  a  good  man.  See,  he  has  an 
old  mother  here  what  he  takes  care  of. 

MR.  SCHWEITZER.  I  haven't  done  nothing  that  the 
law  can  touch  me  for. 

SERGEANT  MURRY.  You  damned  Hun,  you,  you've 
been  talking  sedition  and  you  know  it  just  as  well  as  me. 
You've  been  disloyal  to  the  country  that  nourishes  and 
pertects  you  and  you'll  eat  your  big  brags  before  we  get 
through  with  you  or  I  ain't  sergeant  of  the  war  squad. 

MR.  SCHWEITZER.  When  was  I  talking  sedition?  I 
deny  it. 

SERGEANT  MURRAY.  You  know  when  you  done  it, 
you  dirty  liar,  you.  I  guess  you  didn't  know  who  was 
standing  two  feet  from  you  when  you  shot  your  face  off 
about  Lieutenant  Adams  at  the  shipyard  yesterday,  did 
you? 

MRS.  SCHWEITZER.  But  he  didn't  say  anything  what 
was  wrong. 

76 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 

SERGEANT  MURRY.  What  do  you  know  about  it. 
You  didn't  hear  him,  did  you? 

MRS.  SCHWEITZER.  No,  but  all  about  it  he  told  me; 
every  word  what  he  said,  he  told  me.  We  are  loyal.  Our 
son  fights  for  this  country  in  France — at  the  front  since 
a  long  time  already. 

SERGEANT  MURRY.  So  his  father's  stabbing  him  in 
the  back,  eh? 

MRS.  SCHWEITZER.     What  you  mean? 

SERGEANT  MURRY.  Ain't  it  stabbing  his  own  son  in 
the  back  to  talk  against  the  country  his  son's  fighting  for? 
If  he  wants  to  kill  his  own  son  let  him  do  it,  but  he  ain't 
going  to  be  allowed  to  kill  none  of  our  American  boys; 
not  while  I'm  sergeant  of  the  war  squad.  We'll  put  him 
where  he  belongs. 

MRS.  SCHWEITZER.  Nothing  what  he  said  was  against 
this  country.  He  told  me.  We  are  Americans,  both  of 
us.  He  is  a  naturalized  citizen  since  many  years.  I  bring 
you  his  papers.  (Starts  to  go  to  the  next  room.} 

SERGEANT  MURRY  (shouting  to  her  in  an  ugly  voice). 
None  of  that  stuff.  Come  back  here.  We'll  do  the  find 
ing  things  our  own  selves,  before  you  get  a  chance  to 
chuck  'em.  What  are  you  trying  to  pull  off? 

MRS.  SCHWEITZER  (coming  back) .  We  are  loyal.  I 
swear  to  God  we  are  loyal,  both  of  us. 

SERGEANT  MURRY.  Then  why  don't  he  show  respect 
when  a  man's  speaking  that's  lost  his  arm  in  defense  of 
liberty  and  democracy? 

MR.  SCHWEITZER.  I  said  only  it  wasn't  right  to  call 
the  Germans  always  beasts  and  names  like  that. 

SERGEANT  MURRY.  Ain't  right  to  call  'em  beasts — 
the  dirty  dogs  that  shot  his  arm  off  for  him?  Suppose  you 
think  they're  angels. 

77 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 

MR.  SCHWEITZER.  I  said  only  they  was  men  like  any 
body  else.  I  had  a  right  to  say  so. 

SERGEANT  MURRY.  Well,  no  red-blooded  American's 
going  to  stand  for  that.  Maybe  you'll  learn  what  Amer 
icanism  is  when  you've  been  in  one  of  our  free  hotels  for 
a  while.  Ha,  ha  ! 

MRS.  SCHWEITZER.  How  long  will  they  put  him  in 
jail? 

SERGEANT  MURRY.     I  ain't  the  judge. 

MRS.  SCHWEITZER.  We  can  prove  we  are  loyal.  See 
our  son's  picture  in  his  war  uniform.  (Points  to  the  pic 
ture.)  Wait  a  minute  I  get  his  letter.  Here.  (Picks  up 
her  son's  letter  and  takes  it  to  him.)  Look  at  this — a 
letter  from  our  son,  just  today  comes. 

SERGEANT  MURRY.  Tell  that  to  the  jury.  I  ain't  the 
jury.  I'm  arresting  him  for  disturbing  the  peace.  That's 
what  my  business  is. 

MRS.  SCHWEITZER.  But  there  is  not  now  any  more 
peace.  How  can  he  disturb  peace  when  it  is  all  war? 

MR.  SCHWEITZER.  Anna,  you  talk  too  much.  You 
make  it  worse.  (To  SERGEANT  MURRY).  Can't  I  give 
bail  money? 

SERGEANT  MURRY.  Not  before  you're  booked  at  the 
police  station,  I  reckon.  I  ain't  the  police  station  nor  the 
court  neither. 

MRS.  SCHWEITZER.  Oh,  please,  sir,  if  you  take  him 
away,  let  him  get  first  cleaned  up.  See,  he  has  yet  his 
old  work  clothes  on.  He  comes  tired  from  work  home. 

SERGEANT  MURRY.  Never  mind  his  clothes.  He 
don't  need  to  be  dressed  up  where  he's  going.  But  we 
ain't  going  to  take  him  away  until  we  get  your  house 
cleaned  up  for  you.  (To  OFFICER  GREEN).  How  are 
you  coming,  Harry? 

78 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 

OFFICER  GREEN.  Nothing  here  that  looks  like  evi 
dence,  but  I  guess  you'd  better  rub  your  fingers  over  some 
of  these  things  to  be  satisfied. 

SERGEANT  MURRY.  Yes,  I  see  where  I'll  have  to  get 
busy  if  we  don't  want  to  stay  here  all  night.  (To  MR. 
SCHWEITZER)  .  Here,  old  man,  here's  something  that 
'11  hold  you  for  a  while.  (Snaps  a  pair  of  handcuffs  on 
MR.  SCHWEITZER' j  wrists.) 

MRS.  SCHWEITZER.  Oh,  don't,  please  sir.  He  won't 
run  away. 

SERGEANT  MURRY.     Guess  not  with  them  bracelets  on. 

MRS.  SCHWEITZER.  Let  him  change  his  clothes  and 
get  washed  up,  please. 

SERGEANT  MURRY.  Mind  your  business;  I'm  mind 
ing  mine. 

MRS.  SCHWEITZER  (pleadingly) .  He's  not  a  criminal. 
He's  a  good  man.  He  never  meant  to  displease  Ameri 
cans  when  he  spoke  about  Germans. 

MR.  SCHWEITZER.  Anna,  Anna,  say  nothing  more. 
I'll  go  with  the  officer. 

SERGEANT  MURRY.  You  bet  you'll  go.  Sit  down 
there  (pointing  to  a  chair],  and  shut  up.  (To  OFFICER 
GREEN.)  Anybody'd  know  you're  as  green  as  your  name 
at  the  house  cleaning  business.  Watch  me.  (Begins  to 
look  through  the  drawers.} 

OFFICER  GREEN.  I  tell  you  there  ain't  a  thing  there 
we  can  touch. 

SERGEANT  MURRY.  I'm  not  taking  no  chances.  This 
is  the  only  sure  way.  ( Throws  everything  out  upon  the 
floor — clean  linen,  papers,  wearing  apparel,  etc.}  I  guess 
you're  right.  Nothing  but  rubbish  here.  (Gives  the  pile 
o  few  broad  kicks.)  Try  that  there  cupboard. 

OFFICER  GREEN    (opening    cupboard).     What's    the 

79 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 

good  in  wasting  time  over  a  lot  of  dishes? 

SERGEANT  MURRY.  Can't  they  hide  things  under 
dishes?  Look  between  'em  all  and  take  'em  all  out  and 
look  behind  'em.  (OFFICER  GREEN  begins  to  look  over 
dishes,  piling  them  carefully  on  the  floor.]  You  act  like  you 
was  afraid  of  breakin'  'em.  Ha,  ha!  If  I  was  as  slow 
as  you,  I'd  quit  my  job  and  go  to  raising  potatoes.  Get 
a  move  on  you.  I  can't  wait  a  year.  You  finish  that  place 
up  clean  now,  while  I  dig  out  these  holes.  (Opens  up  cup 
boards  and  drawers  around  the  sink,  throwing  out  pots 
and  kettles,  knives  and  forks,  soap,  flat  irons,  etc.,  with  a 
great  rattle  and  bang.)  What  you  got  there? 

OFFICER  GREEN  (looking  over  a  pile  of  newspapers 
which  he  has  found  in  the  cupboard).  Nothing  but  old 
newspapers,  so  far  as  I  can  see. 

SERGEANT  MURRY  (authoritatively).  Bring  them  to 
me.  (OFFICER  GREEN  obeys.)  What  language  do  you 
call  that.  It  ain't  yours,  is  it? 

OFFICER  GREEN.  What  if  it  is  German?  Where's 
it  any  evidence? 

SERGEANT  MURRY.  You're  too  soft  for  crook  catch 
ing,  you  poor  fish.  (Shakes  out  all  the  papers  and  scat 
ters  them  about  the  floor.) 

GROSSMUTTER  (who  has  been  looking  on  in  astonish 
ment,  calls  out  to  her  son) .  Heinrich,  vas  geht  dort,  vor? 

MR.  SCHWEITZER  (goes  to  her  and  shouts  in  her  ear). 
Es  ist  die  Polizei.  Sie  durchsucht  unser  Haus. 

GROSSMUTTER.     Aber  warum? 

MR.  SCHWEITZER.  Wir  sind  Deutsche.  Es  ist  Krieg. 
Sei  ruhig. 

SERGEANT  MURRY  (shouting  angrily).  That's  enough 
now  of  your  dirty  Hun  talk. 

MR.  SCHWEITZER.     My  mother  speaks  only  German. 

80 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 

SERGEANT  MURRY.  Well,  she'd  better  cut  it  out  or 
I'll  tell  her  in  plain  American  to  keep  still  and  I  guess 
she'll  understand. 

MR.  SCHWEITZER.     I  told  her  already  in  German. 

SERGEANT  MURRY.  You  better  shut  up,  too,  and  sit 
down  where  I  told  you  to,  or  you'll  wish  you  had.  ( To 
OFFICER  GREEN.)  Try  the  next  room. 

MRS.  SCHWEITZER  (Picks  up  her  son's  letter  and  again 
offers  it  to  SERGEANT  MURRY,  with  desperate  pleading). 
Oh,  please  sir,  look  at  this.  Read  it.  Then  you  know 
how  our  son  fights  for  America.  My  husband  he  helps 
to  build  the  ships  for  America  and  we  buy  always  Liberty 
Bonds  and  Red  Cross.  I  will  show  you.  Grossmutter, 
too,  all  the  time  she  knits  for  the  soldiers.  I  beg  please 
that  you  read  it.  (Holds  out  the  letter  imploringly.) 
Maybe  he  is  since  he  wrote  killed.  We  know  nothing,  but 
he  is  to  the  front  trenches,  we  know. 

SERGEANT  MURRY  (takes  the  letter  and  looks  at  it 
carelessly) .  I  don't  want  your  damned  letters.  (Crumples 
it  and  throws  it  on  the  floor.)  I  don't  care  if  you've  got 
a  dozen  sons  in  the  war,  you're  traitors  just  the  same,  both 
of  you.  The  Department  of  Justice  knows  you  all  right. 
You're  the  woman  that  insulted  the  flag  down  there  at 
the  church  with  that  anarchist  Holden  woman.  We've  got 
the  record  of  it.  You'd  ought  to  be  jugged  yourself  along 
with  your  old  man. 

MRS.  SCHWTEITZER.  I  did  not  know  it  was  insulting 
to  the  flag.  I  would  stand  up  but  I  thought  it  was  of 
no  harm  to  remain  in  stillness.  I  will  do  anything  what 
the  government  says.  Please  sir,  officer,  do  not  take  my 
husband  away  from  his  family  what  so  needs  him.  He  is 
a  good  man.  You  will  know  he  is  a  good  man. 

MR.  SCHWEITZER.     Anna,  say  no  more.     It  is  of  no 

81 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 

use. 

(SERGEANT  MURRY  continues  his  search;  looks  behind 
all  the  pictures,  and  peers  into  every  receptacle,  throwing 
to  the  floor  everything  available  except  the  son's  picture 
in  uniform  and  the  flag  in  the  vase.  Even  the  contents  of 
the  pantry  shelf  are  hurled  into  the  debris — boxes  of  salt 
and  pepper,  bags  of  beans  and  rice,  potatoes,  bread,  salt 
pork,  coffee,  tea,  sugar,  etc.,  till  the  room  is  in  utter  con 
fusion.  ) 

OFFICER  GREEN  (coming  in  from  the  other  room 
carrying  a  small  box  of  polished  wood}.  Here's  the 
goods  all  right. 

SERGEANT  MURRY  (gruffly).  Let  me  see.  (Opens 
the  box  and  takes  out  a  small  German  flag,  old  and  torn, 
which  he  lays  down  on  the  table  as  he  looks  deeper  into 
the  box.) 

OFFICER  GREEN  (picking  up  the  flag  and  holding  it 
before  SERGEANT  MURRY).  Well,  don't  that  tickle  your 
glims? 

SERGEANT  MURRY.  What  is  it?  (Takes  it  in  his 
hands  and  looks  at  it  indifferently.) 

OFFICER  GREEN.  So  the  sergeant  of  the  war  squad 
don't  know  when  he's  holding  a  German  flag  in  his  hands. 
That's  one  on  you,  ha,  ha,  ha ! 

SERGEANT  MURRY.  Well,  you  don't  see  'em  floating 
around  these  parts  very  often,  you  bet  yer  life. 

MRS.  SCHWEITZER.  That's  Grossmutter's  box.  It's 
her  old  keepstakes  since  fifty  years  in  the  old  country.  We 
didn't  know  what  was  in  the  box.  Do  not  blame  us  that 
a  German  flag  was  in  our  house  when  we  didn't  know  it. 
I  swear  before  God  my  husband  nor  I  didn't  know  it  was 
there,  and  Grossmutter  she  is  too  old  to  blame  her. 

SERGEANT  MURRY  (throws  the  box  to  the  floor  with  a 

82 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 

bang,  scattering  its  contents  of  old  jewelry,  laces,  pictures, 
etc.).  You'll  know  it  pretty  soon.  (To  MR.  SCHWEIT 
ZER  in  sudden  anger.)  Come  here,  you  Hun  dog!  (MR. 
SCHWEITZER  goes  toward  him  slowly.  SERGEANT  MURRY 
rushes  at  him  and  jerks  him  forward  violently.)  You 
stinking  cur !  Here,  take  this  damned  rag  and  blow  your 
nose  on  it.  (Rams  the  flag  into  his  hands.) 

MR.  SCHWEITZER.  It  is  not  my  flag.  It  is  an  old 
relic  only  which  my  mother  puts  away.  I  wish  not  to 
harm  my  mother's  things  that  she  from  the  past  treasures. 

SERGEANT  MURRY  (bellowing).  I  tell  you,  blow  your 
nose  on  it! 

MRS.  SCHWEITZER.  Oh,  officer,  look.  We  are  Amer 
icans.  See,  this  is  our  flag.  (Runs  to  the  chest  of  drawers 
and  takes  the  flag  from  the  vase.  Rushes  back  to  SERGEANT 
MURRY  waving  the  flag  above  her  head.)  I  stand  under 
protection  from  this  flag  what  our  son  fights  for. 

SERGEANT  MURRY  (grabs  the  flag  violently  from  her 
hands).  You  damn  German!  You  ain't  fit  to  touch  the 
Stars  and  Stripes.  This  is  my  flag. 

MRS.  SCHWEITZER.  Have  you  a  son  what  fights  in 
France  for  this  flag  as  does  our  son? 

SERGEANT  MURRY.  No  more  of  your  bullcon.  (Folds 
the  American  flag  and  puts  it  in  his  pocket.  Takes  MR. 
SCHWEITZER'S  handcuffed  hands,  which  still  hold  the  Ger 
man  flag,  and  roars).  Pick  up  your  hands  here  and  blow 
your  nose  on  your  damned  Hun  flag  or  I'll  knock  your 
block  off. 

MRS.  SCHWEITZER  (in  terror).  Do  it,  Heinrich.  To 
us  it  is  nothing. 

MR.  SCHWEITZER.  But  Mother,  it  is  yet  her  country 
— the  fatherland.  I  cannot  so  hurt  her  to  let  her  see  me 
do  so. 

83 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 

MRS.  SCHWEITZER.  I'll  do  it,  officer.  Let  me  have 
it,  Heinrich.  (Reaches  for  the  flag.) 

SERGEANT  MURRY.  Get  out  of  here.  I  told  him  to 
do  it.  (To  MR.  SCHWEITZER).  Hurry  up,  there.  (MR. 
SCHWEITZER  makes  no  move.) 

MRS.  SCHWEITZER  (pleadingly).  Do  it,  Heinrich. 
(MR.  SCHWEITZER  still  stands  motionless.) 

SERGEANT  MURRY.  Are  you  paralyzed?  (Grabs  MR. 
SCHWEITZER'S  hands  more  violently  and  presses  them 
against  his  nose,  shouting  in  unbridled  anger.)  You 
scoundrel,  you  yellow  dog,  you  Hun  bastard!  I'll  show  you 
what  an  American  is.  Blow,  I  tell  you ;  blow  your  rotten 
brains  out,  you  God-damn  son-of-a-bitch,  you!  (Pushes 
MR.  SCHWEITZER'S  head  back  and  bangs  the  handcuffs 
against  his  face  till  he  groans  with  pain.) 

MRS.  SCHWEITZER  (screaming).  Oh  Heinrich,  Hein 
rich!  (GROSSMUTTER  utters  a  cry  and  faints  in  her  chair. 
MRS.  SCHWEITZER  rushes  to  her.)  They  kill  her!  They 
kill  her! 

SERGEANT  MURRY  (lets  go  of  MR.  SCHWEITZER'S 
hands  and  the  German  flag  falls  to  the  floor.  Calls  to 
OFFICER  GREEN).  Come  on,  Harry.  Let's  go. 

OFFICER  GREEN  (who  has  gone  to  GROSSMUTTER  and 
with  MRS.  SCHWEITZER  is  trying  to  revive  her).  Can 
you  lay  her  back  more  ?  She  ought  to  be  out  flat.  ( They 
put  down  the  back  of  the  wheel  chair  and  work  over  herf 
fanning  her  and  rubbing  her  hands.)  She'll  be  all  right 
in  a  minute.  Now  she's  coming  out,  I  .think. 

SERGEANT  MURRY  (picks  up  the  German  flag  gingerly 
and  holds  it  at  arms  length).  Guess  I'd  better  wrap  up 
this  snot  rag  and  take  it  along  for  evidence.  Give  me  a 
piece  of  paper,  Harry. 

OFFICER  GREEN.     Ain't  there  enough  on  the  floor  to 

84 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 

find  one  yourself?     I'm  busy. 

SERGEANT  MURRY  (takes  a  paper  from  a  debris, 
wraps  up  the  German  flag  and  puts  it  in  his  pocket.)  That 
ought  to  convict  'em  sure. 

GROSSMUTTER  (moaning  and  trying  to  rise  in  her 
chair) .  Heinrich. 

SERGEANT  MURRY  (takes  MR.  SCHWEITZER  by  the 
arm  and  starts  to  the  door.  Calls  to  OFFICER  GREEN). 
Come  on,  Harry.  It's  time  to  beat  it. 

OFFICER  GREEN  (starts  to  follow).  I'll  say  it's  time 
to  beat  it.  (Muttering).  We've  done  enough  dirt  for 
one  night. 

MRS.  SCHWEITZER  (as  GROSSMUTTER  again  moans  and 
trys  to  speak).  Sei  ruhig,  Grossmutter.  Sie  gehen  schon. 
Ruhig,  ruhig.  (Goes  to  SERGEANT  MURRY.)  Please  of 
ficer,  let  me  get  his  coat.  It's  cold  to  go  from  the  house 
out  with  no  coat.  His  hat,  too;  please,  sir,  let  me  get 
them. 

SERGEANT  MURRY.  Bring  'em  to  the  jail  tomorrow. 
I  can't  wait  a  year.  ( To  OFFICER  GREEN  who  has  gone 
to  GROSSMUTTER  and  is  fanning  her) .  Come  along, 
Harry.  No  more  kiddin'  with  the  women.  ( To  MR. 
SCHWEITZER).  Step  lively,  there,  God  damn  you!  (They 
go  out.) 

GROSSMUTTER  (raising  her  head  and  speaking  with  dif 
ficulty) .  Wohin  geht  Heinrich  wohin? 

MRS.  SCHWEITZER  (falls  to  the  floor  by  GROSSMUT 
TER' s  chair  sobbing  convulsively).  Ins  Gefaengnis.  Es 
ist  unrecht.  Es  ist  unrecht. 

ACT  IV. 

Fall  0/1918. 

MRS.  HOLDEN'S  living  room  turned  into  a  small  dress 
making  establishment.  HELEN  is  in  the  center  of  the 

85 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 

room  fitting  an  evening  dress  on  MRS.  CALKINS.  MRS. 
McCoNNELL  is  sitting  before  a  sewing  machine  on  the 
left  basting  a  garment  to  be  stitched,  while  MRS.  HOLDEN 
is  busy  at  an  ironing  board  at  the  right. 

MRS.  CALKINS.  You  know  it's  almost  getting  serious 
the  way  I'm  talked  about  for  coming  to  this  house. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  How  could  anybody  talk  about  you, 
child? 

MRS.  CALKINS.  They  do.  There  are  people  who 
actually  doubt  my  loyalty — think  of  it! — me,  almost  a 
war  widow. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  I  wish  nobody  was  any  nearer  to 
war  widowhood  than  you  are,  Katherine. 

MRS.  CALKINS.  But  my  husband's  in  France.  Isn't 
that  near  enough? 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  Quite  near  enough.  However,  the 
base  hospitals  aren't  on  the  firing  line. 

MRS.  CALKINS  (looking  in  the  glass).  I  wonder  how 
I'd  look  in  black. 

MRS.   McCoNNELL.     Don't  talk  about  black. 

MRS.  CALKINS.  Yes,  I  know  you  don't  believe  in 
letting  people  know  your  grief,  Mrs.  McConnell,  and  of 
course  it's  very  brave  in  you,  but  I  think  we  ought  to  show 
some  outward  respect  for  our  dead  for  the  first  year,  any 
way. 

MRS.   McCoNNELL.     Our  grief  is  our  own,  isn't  it? 

MRS.  CALKINS.  It's  the  nation's  grief,  too.  The 
whole  country  mourns  for  every  soldier  killed  in  defense 
of  the  colors. 

MRS.  McCoNNELL.  It  pays  its  formal  tribute  to  the 
dead. 

HELEN.     As  the  grand  finale  of  the  war  carnival. 

MRS.  CALKINS.     Oh,    all   of  you   say  such   dreadful 

86 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 

things.  That's  what  makes  it  dangerous  for  me  to  be 
seen  coming  here.  I'm  risking  my  reputation. 

HELEN.  Nonsense!  You're  not  only  treason-proot, 
but  you're  trying  all  the  time  to  reform  us.  If  they  slan 
der  you  any  more  tell  them  that  you  come  here  as  a  mis 
sionary.  .  , 

MRS.  CALKINS.  That's  a  good  idea.  I  have  tried 
to  bring  you  to  a  better  understanding  of  the  war, 

haven't  I? 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  You've  done  your  best.  It  s  not  your 
fault  that  we're  still  unreclaimed  heretics. 

MRS.  CALKINS.  And  I've  reasoned  it  all  out  how  I  m 
fulfilling  a  real  war-time  duty  in  coming  here. 

HELEN.  If  you've  reasoned  anything  out,  Katherme, 
do  enlighten  us. 

MRS.  CALKINS.  Well,  it's  this  way.  Mrs.  Holden, 
you  practically  saved  Dick's  life.  Father  would  have 
let  him  be  drafted  to  the  trenches  or  anything,  but  you 
told  me  what  to  do  to  save  him,  and  I  did  it,  and  I  do 
feel  grateful  to  you,  for  now  he's  doing  the  noblest  ser 
vice  that  a  man  can  do — relieving  human  suffering. 

HELEN.  Holding  the  knives  and  the  bandages  while 
the  doctors  patch  up  men  to  go  back  to  the  front. 

MRS.  CALKINS.  And  I  know  he's  not  shirking  no 
matter  how  hard  it  is. 

HELEN.  Probably  not  or  he'd  be  disciplined.  Lney 
make  even  the  doctors  sweat. 

MRS.  CALKINS.  Isn't  it  magnificent  the  way  nearly 
all  of  the  doctors  have  volunteered? 

HELEN.  Where  else  could  they  find  such  a  feast  ot 
scientific  experiment?  It's  even  better  than  a  vivisection 
laboratory.  But  what's  all  this  got  to  do  with  your  ful 
filling  a  war-time  duty  in  coming  here? 

87 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 

MRS.  CALKINS.  Oh,  yes,  I  forgot  what  I  was  going 
to  say.  Well,  in  having  you  for  my  dressmaker  during 
the  war,  I'm  Hooverising. 

HELEN.     Good!     So  you  are. 

MRS.  CALKINS.  Besides,  your  gowns  are  really  quite 
chic,  Helen. 

HELEN.  Thank  you,  and  if  you'll  please  hold  up  your 
arm  for  a  few  minutes,  I'll  try  to  live  up  to  the  compli 
ment. 

MRS.  CALKINS.     Now  you've  got  it  too  tight. 

HELEN.      (Adjusts  a  pin  or  two.)      How's  that? 

MRS.  CALKINS.  Yes,  it  feels  better  now.  (Looks 
it  over  carefully  in  the  glass.)  Helen,  if  you  get  that 
skirt  too  long,  you'll  just  have  to  cut  it  off.  Mrs.  Briggs 
says  the  skirts  are  getting  shorter  all  the  time  in  Paris. 

HELEN.  Perhaps  cloth  is  getting  scarcer.  I'll  Hoover- 
ise  it  a  little  more  if  you  say  so.  The  scraps  might  be 
salvaged  by  the  Red  Cross. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  Is  that  the  message  Mrs.  Briggs 
brought  back  from  the  war  zone  ? 

MRS.  CALKINS.  Of  course  that  wasn't  all  she  said. 
She  talked  most  inspiringly  about  her  work  among  the 
soldiers.  You  don't  seem  to  care  anything  at  all  about 
the  welfare  of  the  soldiers. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  There's  a  difference  of  opinion  as  to 
what  constitutes  the  welfare  of  the  soldiers. 

MRS.  CALKINS.  She  fairly  made  me  want  to  go  over. 
She's  had  such  a  wonderful  time  over  there. 

HELEN.  Haven't  you  had  a  wonderful  time  over 
here?  You'd  better  stick  to  this  side  of  the  pond  where 
your  rations  of  ice  cream  and  candy  aren't  limited  in  spite 
of  the  regulations  on  sugar.  Don't  risk  having  your 
appetite  taken  away  by  the  smell  of  rotting  corpses. 

88 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 

MRS.  CALKINS.  Helen,  you  seem  to  like  to  talk  about 
those  gruesome  things.  If  you  were  like  me  you'd  dwell 
only  on  the  ideal  side  of  the  war. 

HELEN.     I'm  not  an  idealist. 

MRS.  CALKINS  (looking  again  in  the  glass).  Isn't  it 
wonderful  how  I'm  economising  on  this  gown?  With 
the  new  crepe-de-Chine  you'd  never  know  that  I  wore  the 
underslip  all  last  season,  would  you? 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  I  hope  you're  making  good  use  of 
the  money  you're  saving  on  clothes  this  year. 

MRS.  CALKINS.  Indeed  I  am.  I'm  learning  the 
pleasure  of  giving. 

HELEN.  An  extreme  pleasure  that's  being  quite  gen 
erally  enforced  these  days. 

MRS.  CALKINS.  Aren't  you  through  yet  with  this  in 
terminable  fitting? 

HELEN.  Well,  take  it  off.  I  guess  I  can  finish  it  all 
right  now.  (HELEN  unfastens  the  gown.) 

MRS.  CALKINS.  You've  kept  me  standing  a  long 
time  today.  I'm  tired 

HELEN.     I   can  sympathise   with  you.      (MRS.    CAI. 
KINS  goes  to  the  next  room,  lea-ling  the  door  open.  HELEN 
sits  down  exhaustedly.) 

MRS.  HOLDEN  (singing  softly  as  MRS.  MCCONNELL'S 
sewing  machine  hums)  : 

"Jesus,  I  my  cross  have  taken, 
All  to  leave  and  follow  thee." 

HELEN.  Mother,  if  you  don't  stop  your  hymn-sing 
ing,  you'll  drive  me  to — well,  to  doing  what  the  church 
ladies  did  to  you. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  Excuse  me,  dear.  I  know  you  don't 
like  it.  I  forgot. 

HELEN.     It  makes  me  chafe.     I  don't  believe  in  tak- 

89 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 

ing  up  the  cross.     I  rebel  at  your  meek,  pacifist  philosophy. 

MRS.  McCoNNELL.  Her  meek,  pacifist  philosophy 
seems  to  be  the  only  thing  left  intact  above  the  insensate 
maelstrom  of  the  world  today.  Hasn't  she  stuck  to  her 
moorings  with  a  tenacity  that  is  boldness  in  itself?  She 
at  least  has  kept  the  faith  and  made  her  point  from  first 
to  last. 

HELEN.  Made  her  point  by  getting  you  into  prison 
for  ten  years. 

MRS.   McCoNNELL.     No,  she  got  me  out  on  bail. 

HELEN.  She  led  you  to  the  danger  zone  of  pacifism 
and  now  you've  been  struck  down  while  she  remains  stand 
ing — for  a  while  at  least. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  Yes,  that's  what  hurts  me.  Why 
didn't  they  arrest  me  instead  of  you? 

MRS.  McCoNNELL.  Because  I  moved  with  the  im 
petus  of  a  convert  and  inevitably  got  my  head  into  the 
noose. 

MRS.  CALKINS  (calling  out  from  the  next  room).  Oh, 
Mrs.  McConnell,  they  aren't  going  to  hang  you,  are  they? 

MRS.   McCoNNELL.     No,  not  yet. 

MRS.  CALKINS.  How  you  did  frighten  me.  They 
won't  put  you  in  a  regular  prison,  will  they,  with  mur 
derers  and  everybody? 

MRS.   McCoNNELL.     They  will. 

MRS.  CALKINS.     When? 

MRS.   McCoNNELL.     Very  soon. 

MRS.   CALKINS.     I  didn't  know  it  was  so  bad  as  that. 

HELEN.  So  bad  as  what?  What  do  you  think  she's 
done? 

MRS.  CALKINS.  I  don't  quite  know,  only  it's  some 
thing  against  the  government. 

MRS.   McCoNNELL.     Not  against  the  government,  but 

90 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 

regardless  of  the  government. 

MRS.  CALKINS.  Yes,  they  do  talk  about  you're  being 
an  anarchist  and  trying  to  overthrow  the  government  like 
your  son  Joseph.  Helen,  will  you  please  come  here. 
You'll  simply  have  to  help  me  get  this  dress  off.  (HELEN 
goes  out.) 

MRS.  HOLDEN  (having  finished  her  ironing,  hangs  it 
over  the  back  of  a  chair  and  goes  near  to  MRS.  McCoN- 
NELL).  Why  don't  you  rest  a  little,  since  you've  only  a 
few  short  hours  left? 

MRS.  McCoNNELL.  I'd  rather  be  busy  up  to  the  last 
minute.  It  keeps  my  mind  under  control. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.   Have  you  got  everything  ready  to  go? 

MRS.  McCoNNELL.  Yes,  I've  been  ready  for  three 
days.  I  expected  it. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.     Why  didn't  you  tell  us  before? 

MRS.  McCoNNELL.  I  told  you  as  soon  as  the  mes 
sage  actually  came. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  I  can't  make  up  my  mind  to  it.  I 
didn't  think  you  would  really  have  to  serve  your  sentence. 

MRS.  McCoNNELL.  I  did.  A  case  on  appeal  isn't 
judged  on  its  merits  you  know,  only  on  technicalities.  Be 
sides,  the  courts,  like  everything  else  now,  are  ruled  by 
war-passion.  They  did  well  to  give  me  a  few  hours'  no 
tice  before  taking  me  away. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.     You  accept  your  fate  magnificently. 

MRS.  McCoNNELL.  No,  it's  only  that  I'm  free  from 
doubt.  Even  going  to  prison  is  easier  than  being  in  the 
mental  anguish  that  I  was  in  before,  trying  to  reconcile 
humanitarian  ideals  with  bloodshed. 

( The  door  bell  rings.  MRS.  HOLDEN  goes  to  the  door. 
A  LIBERTY  BOND  SOLICITOR  enters.  He  wears  on  the 
lapel  of  his  coat  a  conspicuous  celluloid  bow  of  red,  white 

91 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 

and  blue,  marked  "volunteer".) 

SOLICITOR  (taking  a  pencil  and  paper  from  his  pocket). 
I'm  taking  subscriptions  for  the  fourth  Liberty  Loan. 

MRS.   HOLDEN.      I  do  not  care  to  subscribe. 

SOLICITOR.     I  am  the  captain  of  this  district. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  So  I  supposed.  The  last  solicitor 
told  me  he  would  send  the  captain,  but  it's  quite  unneces 
sary  for  you  to  come. 

SOLICITOR.  Then  you've  already  bought  a  Liberty 
Bond? 

MRS.  HOLDEN.     No.     I  don't  buy  war  bonds. 

SOLICITOR  (looking  at  her  threateningly).  Madam, 
we  have  ways  of  making  people  buy  bonds. 

MRS.  HOLDEN  (answering  his  look  calmly).  My  re 
fusal  is  final.  (SOLICITOR  continues  to  stare  at  her.)  Why 
do  you  wait? 

SOLICITOR.  Your  refusal  is  final.  We'll  see  about 
that.  (Writes  something  on  the  paper.)  Do  you  realize 
that  if  you  continue  to  refuse  to  do  your  duty  as  a  citizen 
of  this  free  republic  that  your  name  will  be  published  in 
the  newspapers  as  a  Liberty  Bond  slacker? 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  My  name  has  already  been  published 
several  times.  I'm  getting  quite  used  to  it. 

SOLICITOR.  Then  you  have  no  respect  for  public  opin 
ion?  Be  careful,  the  public  is  in  no  mood  to  deal  gently 
with  such  as  you.  There  are  mobs  abroad. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  I  know  it.  I've  seen  something  of 
them.  Do  you  approve  of  mob  rule? 

SOLICITOR.  No,  but  one  can't  blame  the  outraged  pub 
lic  sometimes  for  taking  the  law  into  its  own  hands  when 
the  regularly  constituted  officials  are  slow. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  Would  you  condone  a  mob  bent  on 
revolution  ? 

92 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 

SOLICITOR.  That's  an  entirely  different  thing.  Law 
and  order  must  be  maintained.  We  have  the  militia  to 
attend  to  that. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.     What  is  law  and  order? 

SOLICITOR.  I'm  not  here  to  answer  fool  questions.  I 
mean  business.  Come  on.  You  have  the  protection  of 
the  army  and  navy,  and  if  you  can't  back  them  up  with 
your  pocket  book  you're  a  pretty  poor  American. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  I  don't  ask  the  protection  of  the 
army  and  navy. 

SOLICITOR.    No  more  joking.     This  is  serious  business. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  I'm  not  joking.  I've  given  you  my 
answer.  Do  you  want  it  again? 

SOLICITOR.  Come  on.  What  will  you  have? — a  hun 
dred  dollar  bond  to  begin  with? 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  I  do  not  buy  war  bonds.  I'm  a  Paci 
fist. 

SOLICITOR.  A  Pacifist,  eh?  Rather  late  in  the  day  to 
be  a  Pacifist.  I  wonder  how  long  you'd  be  a  Pacifist  if 
the  Germans  should  land  in  New  York. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.     I'm  not  expecting  them. 

SOLICITOR.  Neither  am  I,  by  golly!  We've  got  'em 
on  the  run  now,  and  the  next  thing  it's  on  to  Berlin. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  You'll  join  the  invading  host,  I  sup 
pose. 

SOLICITOR  (ignoring  her  remarks  and  speaking  impera 
tively}.  For  the  third  time  I  offer  you  a  bond  of  the 
fourth  Liberty  Loan. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.     And  for  the  third  time  I  refuse. 

SOLICITOR.  Madam,  be  careful;  you  are  treading  on 
dangerous  ground. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.     I  have  stated  my  position. 

SOLICITOR  (begins  to  speak  in  a  wheedling  tone).   Now 

92 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 

look  here,  little  woman,  I  don't  want  to  see  you  get  into 
trouble.  I  know  you're  a  widow  and  not  rich,  but  you 
can  afford  one  bond  at  least.  If  you  haven't  got  the  cash 
in  hand  you  can  get  credit.  (Pauses  for  MRS.  HOLDEN  to 
answer.  As  she  remains  silent  he  continues  in  a  still  more 
wheedling  tone).  Now  come  along  and  do  your  duty  like 
a  good  patriot  and  you  won't  find  me  a  hard  man.  No, 
not  at  all.  Let  me  persuade  you  as  a  friend.  I  like  you, 
Mrs.  Holden — I  believe  that's  your  name;  I  have  it  down 
somewhere  here.  (Looks  over  his  note  book.)  Yes,  Mrs. 
Holden.  You're  a  nice  little  woman,  but  don't  tell  my 
wife  I  said  so,  ha,  ha!  There  now,  come  through  sweetly 
and  there  won't  be  any  trouble  at  all. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  You  are  wasting  your  words.  I  do 
not  compromise  my  principles. 

SOLICITOR  (angrily).  Look  here,  you  say  you're  a 
Pacifist,  but  I'll  just  tell  you  that  there's  no  such  animal 
left  in  this  country.  Either  you're  a  loyal,  clean,  100% 
American,  or  you're  a  sneaking  traitor.  (Bangs  his  fist 
on  the  table.)  Which  are  you? 

MRS.  HOLDEN  (quietly).     I  am  neither. 

SOLICITOR.     You — 

MRS.  McCoNNELL  (stepping  up  to  him).  Mrs.  Hol 
den  has  told  you  that  she  does  not  buy  war  bonds  and  I 
can  assure  you  that  she's  a  woman  of  her  word. 

SOLICITOR  (still  angry).  Another  county  heard  from. 
Who  are  you,  I'd  like  to  know? 

MRS.   McCoNNELL.     I'm  Mrs.  Holden's  friend. 

SOLICITOR.     Do  you  live  here? 

MRS.  McCoNNELL.     At  present. 

SOLICITOR.     Have  you  subscribed  for  a  Liberty  Bond? 

MRS.  McCoNNELL.     No. 

SOLICITOR  (taking  out  his  pencil  and  pad  again) .   Your 

94 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 

name,  please. 

MRS.  McCoNNELL.  I,  also,  do  not  subscribe  for  war 
bonds. 

SOLICITOR.     Are  you  a  Pacifist,  too? 

MRS.   McCoNNELL.     I'm  a  non-resistant  revolutionist. 

SOLICITOR.     A  what? 

MRS.   McCoNNELL.     A  non-resistant  revolutionist. 

SOLICITOR.  Well,  that's  a  new  one  on  me.  But  if 
you're  a  revolutionist  of  any  color,  I  guess  it's  red.  (With 
a  puzzled  look).  You  must  be  a  case  for  the  police. 

MRS.  McCoNNELL.     Yes,  I  am. 

SOLICITOR.     Your  name,  please. 

MRS.  McCoNNELL.  Elizabeth  McConnell.  (He 
writes  it  down.) 

SOLICITOR  (pompously).  I  shall  report  you  at  once  to 
the  Department  of  Justice. 

MRS.  McCoNNELL.  You're  too  late.  I've  already 
been  convicted. 

SOLICITOR.     What  do  you  mean? 

MRS.  McCoNNELL.  What  I  say.  (HELEN  enters 
unnoticed.) 

SOLICITOR.  You  both  seem  to  think  I'm  here  for  a 
show,  but  I'll  show  you  that  war's  a  grim  business.  (  Takes 
out  his  watch.)  I'll  give  you  just  two  more  minutes  and 
if  you  don't  come  to  the  conclusion  by  that  time  that  the 
law's  bigger  than  you  are,  I'll  report  your  whole  nest  here. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  How  long  has  it  been  a  law  that  we 
shall  subscribe  for  war  bonds? 

SOLICITOR.  Well,  if  it's  not  a  law  it's  as  good  as  a 
law,  because  you've  got  to  do  it.  It's  patriotism  and  pa 
triotism's  the  unwritten  law  of  every  nation. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  I  will  not  subscribe  for  a  war  bond 
whether  the  law  or  the  unwritten  law  or  something  as 

95 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 

good  as  the  law  demands  it.  The  war  is  a  crime  and  I 
refuse  to  be  a  party  to  a  crime. 

SOLICITOR.  Woman,  you'll  pay  for  your  sedition. 
(Puts  on  his  hat  and  starts  to  go  out.) 

HELEN  (coming  forward).     I'll  get  a  bond. 

SOLICITOR  (turns  around  but  does  not  remove  his  hat). 
Are  you  a  resident  here? 

HELEN.     Yes,  I'm  Mrs.  Holden's  daughter. 

SOLICITOR.     Your  name,  please. 

HELEN.     Helen  Holden  McConnell. 

SOLICITOR  (writing  it  down).  McConnell?  That's 
this  woman's  name,  isn't  it? 

HELEN.     Yes,  I'm  her  son's  wife. 

SOLICITOR.  Oh,  she's  your  mother-in-law?  Well, 
where's  your  husband? 

HELEN.     Away. 

SOLICITOR.     At  the  front? 

HELEN.     Yes. 

SOLICITOR.  I  know  you're  lying,  for  a  bunch  like  you 
hasn't  got  anybody  in  the  war. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.     Have  you? 

SOLICITOR  (proudly).  My  son's  an  instructor  in  avia 
tion. 

MRS.  McCoNNELL.  I  had  a  son  killed  in  the  Ar- 
gonne. 

SOLICITOR.     You  did?    This  woman's  husband? 

MRS.   McCoNNELL.     No,  a  younger  son. 

SOLICITOR  (surprised).  You  really  had  a  son  who 
died  an  honored  martyr  for  country? 

MRS.  McCoNNELL  (sadly).  Who  died  a  disillu 
sioned  victim  of  country.  There  is  no  honor  to  death  in 
war.  It  is  a  bitter  mockery. 

SOLICITOR.     Well,  however  you  look  at  it,  I  should 

96 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 

think  you'd  want  to  do  all  you  can  to  keep  other  people's 
sons  from  getting  killed. 

MRS.  McCoNNELL.     I  do. 

SOLICITOR.     Then  buy  a  Liberty  Bond. 

MRS.  McCoNNELL.  It's  advertised  that  one  bond 
will  buy  ten  trench  knives.  Aren't  they  for  killing  pur 
poses? 

SOLICITOR.     For  killing  Germans  to  save  our  boys. 

MRS.   McCoNNELL.     Aren't  they  somebody's  boys? 

SOLICITOR.  Not  from  our  look  out.  (To  HELEN). 
What  will  you  take,  young  woman?  You  know  there's  no 
better  investment  than  Liberty  Bonds. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.     Oh,  Helen,  why  do  you  do  it? 

SOLICITOR.  No  advice  from  you,  please.  Your  daugh 
ter's  got  more  common  sense  than  you've  got.  I  can  see 
that.  She's  trying  to  protect  you. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.     I  want  no  protection  of  that  kind. 

HELEN.  I  have  only  fifty  dollars.  Here  it  is.  (Hands 
him  the  money.) 

SOLICITOR.  Can't  you  do  a  little  better  than  that  for 
your  country? 

HELEN.     No. 

SOLICITOR  (writes  receipt  and  hands  it  to  her).  I  sup 
pose  you  think  it  doesn't  matter  since  the  war's  practically 
won,  but  I  tell  you  that  though  there's  been  talk  of  peace 
lately,  we've  got  to  clinch  our  victory  and  the  people  have 
got  to  come  through  with  the  money  for  it.  That's  all 
there  is  about  it. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  God  save  us  from  the  curse  of  vic 
tory. 

SOLICITOR  (taking  of  his  hat  and  scratching  his  head 
as  he  looks  curiously  at  MRS.  McCoNNELL).  Say,  I've 
just  thought  of  something.  Are  you  that  woman  that  was 

97 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 

tried  this  summer  for  making  a  seditious  speech  at  some 
kind  of  a  labor  meeting? 

MRS.   McCoNNELL.     I  am. 

SOLICITOR.  Well,  upon  my  word,  I  didn't  know  you 
lived  here.  I  thought  you  were  in  jail  long  ago. 

MRS.   McCoNNELL.     I  entrain  tonight. 

SOLICITOR.  You  entrain  tonight?  You  talk  like  a 
soldier  going  to  war. 

MRS.  McCoNNELL.  The  war  between  truth  and 
falsehood. 

SOLICITOR.  Well,  by  God,  I  hope  you  get  all  that's 
coming  to  you.  (Goes  out.) 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  How  many  more  times  will  we  have 
to  go  through  all  this,  I  wonder. 

HELEN.     Until  we  grovel  with  alacrity. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  Or  go  to  prison  like  Mrs.  McConnell 
and  Joseph. 

MRS.  CALKINS  (coming  in  from  the  other  room 
dressed  for  the  street).  Has  he  gone? 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  Why,  where  have  you  been  all  this 
time,  Katherine? 

MRS.  CALKINS.  Hiding  in  the  kitchen.  He's  really 
gone,  hasn't  he?  My,  but  that  was  a  narrow  escape  for 
me.  You  know  he's  the  captain  of  our  district.  I'm  one 
of  his  deputies.  Suppose  he'd  seen  me  here.  I  didn't 
dare  leave  while  he  was  here.  I  thought  he  might  see  me 
going  away.  And  then  when  he  talked  so  loud  I  was 
afraid  he  was  going  to  search  the  house  and  I  didn't  know 
what  to  do. 

HELEN.  If  he'd  found  you  maybe  he  would  only  have 
pressed  you  into  service  bullying  Mother. 

MRS.  CALKINS.  No,  the  deputies  don't  have  to  do 
any  of  that  work.  If  any  one  refuses  us,  we  just  report 

98 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 

them  to  him  and  then  he  has  to  go  and  make  them. 

HELEN.     He  seems  to  take  kindly  to  his  job. 

MRS.  CALKINS.     He's  very  patriotic. 

HELEN.     We  noticed  that. 

MRS.  CALKINS.  Well,  I  think  I'll  be  going  home. 
Mrs.  McConnell,  I  want  you  to  know  that  although  I 
realize  what  an  awful  thing  it  is  to  be  convicted  of  crime 
against  the  government,  I  don't  think  you're  a  criminal 
at  heart. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  She's  a  prophet — like  Socrates,  like 
Savonarola,  like  Christ. 

MRS.  CALKINS  Oh,  Mrs.  Holden,  how  sacrilegious, 

like  Christ,  and  she  not  even  in  the  church  any  more. 

Why,  she's  been  condemned  by  the  government. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.     So  was  Christ. 

MRS.  CALKINS.     But  he  was  our  Savior. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  Every  martyr  for  truth  and  righteous 
ness  is  one  with  him  and  a  savior. 

MRS.  McCoNNELL.  Don't  call  me  a  martyr.  Be 
literal.  I'm  an  ordinary  woman  sentenced  to  prison  for 
my  opinions  like  many  others  today.  If  the  future  sees 
martyrdom  in  it  after  I'm  dead,  I  can't  protest,  but  while 
I'm  here  I  won't  stand  for  it. 

MRS.  CALKINS.  Now,  Helen,  don't  fail  to  get  my 
dress  to  me  by  Thursday  afternoon.  I  must  have  it  for 
the  Navy  Alliance  ball  Thursday  night.  If  I  don't  have 
it  I  can't  go,  for  I  haven't  another  thing  to  wear. 

HELEN.  I  shall  consider  it  my  patriotic  duty  to  get 
it  to  you  on  time. 

MRS.  CALKINS.  Mrs.  McConnell,  there's  something 
I  wanted  to  tell  you  in  case  I  don't  see  you  again.  They 
kept  the  star  in  the  service  flag  for  your  son  Ernest  after 
all. 

99 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 

MRS.  McCoNNELL.  Let  them  do  so  or  not,  as  they 
please. 

MRS.  CALKINS.  Everybody  respects  Ernest  in  spite 
of  your  disgrace.  Mr.  Thorp  always  reads  his  name  with 
the  honor  roll  of  our  hero  dead. 

MRS.  McCoNNELL.  How  many  names  are  there  on 
what  the  church  so  patronisingly  calls  its  honor  roll? 

MRS.  CALKINS.  Ernest  was  the  first  one  killed  in 
action,  then  one  of  the  Smith  boys  died  of  wounds  and 
the  other  was  reported  missing.  It  was  a  long  time  be 
fore  they  found  out  that  he  was  killed  in  the  Argonne, 
too.  With  that  delay  and  with  Ernest's  star  being  held 
up  on  account  of  your  disloyalty  it  made  us  very  late  in 
getting  our  service  flag  put  right.  You  know  they  took 
William  Schweitzer's  star  off  the  flag  after  his  father  was 
convicted. 

MRS.  McCoNNELL.  Then  why  didn't  they  take  my 
son's  star  off  after  I  was  convicted? 

MRS.  CALKINS.     His  was  a  gold  star. 

HELEN.  They  couldn't  spare  a  gold  star.  Those  are 
the  counters,  aren't  they,  Katherine? 

MRS.  CALKINS.  They're  what  make  the  flag  so  sol 
emn. 

HELEN.  How  do  you  feel  when  you  sew  on  a  gold 
star?  I  would  feel  like  a  murderer. 

MRS.  CALKINS.  It's  not  our  fault  that  our  soldiers 
die.  They're  murdered  by  the  cowardly  enemy. 

MRS.  McCoNNELL.  Aren't  we  responsible  if  we  send 
them  to  fight  ? 

MRS.  CALKINS.  Our  responsibility  is  to  see  that  their 
deaths  are  immortalized  in  the  memory  of  the  people. 

MRS.  McCoNELL.  Maybe  some  day  the  people  will 
realize  that  death  in  battle  is  no  different  from  death  in 

100 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 

any  other  mortal  catastrophy.  A  battle  is  nothing  but  a 
miserable  wreck  multiplied  to  the  highest  degree.  It  is 
the  same  in  kind  as  the  head-on  collision  of  two  trains. 
Your  gold  stars  and  bronze  tablets  are  pitiable  recompense 
for  a  human  life  snuffed  out  by  blind  force. 

MRS.  CALKINS.  That  isn't |SQ.:«.:b*s£n  honqr'to  die 
for  country.  Even  the  drafted  saldiets  feel  it.'J 

MRS.  MCCONNELL.  How  dp;  ybjT^ph^Kfeo^  the 
drafted  soldiers  feel? 

MRS.  CALKINS.  I  guess  I  know  as  much  as  you  do 
about  it. 

MRS.  McCoNNELL.  Yes,  we  women  can  only  spec 
ulate  about  how  they  feel.  I  speculated  once  and  I  was 
told  later  that  I  hit  pretty  near  to  the  mark.  I  was  sitting 
in  the  railway  station  on  the  day  the  twenty-one-year-olds 
were  drafted,  and  across  the  aisle  was  a  group  of  young 
men  reading  the  papers  which  contained  the  numbers  of 
the  draft.  It  came  to  me  in  a  flood  of  consciousness  how 
they  felt  and  how  I  felt  and  how  the  world  will  feel  when 
it  wakes  up,  and  I  wrote  it  down  in  verse  on  the  back  of 
an  envelope. 

MRS.  CALKINS.  I  heard  you  wrote  a  seditious  poem 
about  the  draft.  I'd  like  to  hear  it  just  for  curiosity. 

MRS.  McCoNNELL.  All  right,  I'll  say  it  to  you  to 
satisfy  your  curiosity*  but  more  to  relieve  my  own  feel 
ings.  (She  repeats  the  poem  earnestly.} 

DRAFT  DAY 

The  wheel  at  Washington  turns  round  today. 

We  dare  not  say  we  fear;  we  dare  not  say 

We  long  to  live.     We  search  the  printed  lines 

For  numbers  mystical  and  real;  for  signs 

That  bear  a  terror  deeper  than  the  roar 

Of  countless  oceans  pounding  on  the  shore. 

101 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 

Cold  figures  clamp  our  beings — mine,  yours,  his — 

And  draw  us  to  the  crash  of  centuries 

With  a  blind  force  that  vibrates  beyond  sound, 

While  we  adore  and  grovel  on  the  ground. 

Two,  seven,  five,  eight,  three — digits  can  hurl 

A  living'  human*  66u«.  into  the  whirl, 

Naked, 'young,  tencfef,  quivering  and  warm 

Irfto-'the  ^ath-riark:  passion  of  the  storm 

And  slime  it'  with  foul  "niurder  in  the  name 

Of  patriotism,  tinsel-mask  of  shame! 

We  dare  not  say  we  fear;  we  dare  not  say 

We  long  to  live.     The  wheel  turns  round  today. 

MRS.  CALKINS  (after  a  pause}.  Well,  if  you  won't 
see  things  the  way  other  people  do,  I  suppose  it's  no  use 
trying  to  make  you.  I  believe  that  all  any  of  you  are 
trying  to  do  is  to  be  different.  But  your  talk  just  goes  in 
one  ear  and  out  of  the  other  with  me,  for  I  know  that  a 
few  Pacifists  like  you  don't  know  so  much  more  than  all 
the  ministers  and  writers  and  professors  and  that  kind  of 
people  who  teach  us  the  purity  of  patriotism  and  the  dig 
nity  of  fighting  for  our  country. 

MRS.  McCoNNELL.  If  it  is  such  a  noble  thing  to 
fight  for  one's  country  why  don't  you  respect  the  enemy 
for  doing  so?  Why  do  you  accuse  the  enemy  of  commit 
ting  murder  when  you  don't  admit  that  we  also  are  mur 
derers? 

MRS.  CALKINS.     Because  our  side  is  right. 

MRS.  McCoNNELL.     So  says  the  enemy. 

Mi<s.  CALKINS.  But  both  sides  can't  be  right.  One 
must  be  wrong,  and  we  know  we're  not  wrong.  Germany 
started  it  and  has  to  be  punished. 

MRS.   McCoNNBLL.     Germany  didn't  start  it  alone, 

102 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 

Preparedness  in  all  countries  started  it.  Static  war  had 
been  collecting  in  storage  vats  so  long  that  it  finally  pro 
duced  a  general  explosion. 

MRS.  CALKINS.  You've  changed  so  terribly,  Mrs. 
McConnell.  I  can't  understand  it.  You  used  to  be  so 
loyal  and  patriotic.  Yet  I  do  feel  sorry  for  you  on 
account  of  all  the  trouble  you've  had  through  the  war. 
But  I  don't  feel  half  so  sorry  for  you  as  I  do  for  Mrs. 
Schweitzer.  Even  if  she  is  German  she's  tried  to  do 
what's  right  since  she  saw  her  mistake  in  not  saluting  the 
flag.  You  know  her  son  was  reported  dead  once  and  then 
it  turned  out  that  he  was  in  the  hospital  with  shell  shock. 
After  he  was  supposed  to  be  well  they  took  him  back  into 
active  service,  and  the  latest  news  is  that  he's  raving  crazy 
somewhere  over  there. 

MRS.  McCoNNELL.  I've  seen  Mrs.  Schweitzer.  Her 
grief  is  worse  than  mine.  William  is  hopelessly  insane. 

MRS.  CALKINS.  Yes,  I'm  awfully  sorry  for  her. 
Well,  I  truly  must  go.  (Calling  back  as  she  goes  out  of 
the  door.}  Now,  Helen,  don't  forget — Thursday. 

HELEN.  And  that's  what  the  marching  legions  are 
dying  for — to  make  the  world  safe  for  Katherine's  gabble 
and  the  Navy  Alliance  ball.  (Bitterly.)  It  makes  me 
laugh. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  Poor  Katherine!  We  must  respect 
her  good  intentions. 

HELEN.  Especially  since  we're  subsisting  on  the 
crumbs  of  her  Hooverizing. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  There's  a  better  day  coming.  We 
must  have  the  faith. 

MRS.  McCoNNELL.  And  keep  our  inner  lamps  burn 
ing. 

HELEN.     Mine  have  gone  out. 

103 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 

MRS.  McCoNNELL.     Don't  let  them. 

HELEN.     Lamps  can't  burn  without  oil. 

MRS.  McCoNNELL.  Helen,  you  are  dooming  your 
self  to  darkness. 

HELEN.  What  control  have  I  over  my  life?  Aren't 
we  all  helpless  creatures  of  circumstance? 

MRS.  McCoNNELL.  We  have  a  choice  of  spiritual 
motives  if  nothing  else. 

HELEN.  But,  even  so,  if  we  happen  to  be  living  in  this 
day  and  age,  we  are  marked  by  fate  either  for  quick 
annihilation  or  slow,  torturing  death.  That's  the  actual 
ity  of  war. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.     War  itself  is  a  choice. 

HELEN.  But  to  choose  against  it  is  utter  destruction 
when  the  rest  of  the  world  has  chosen  for  it. 

MRS.  McCoNNELL.     Not  to  the  moral  consciousness. 

HELEN.  Suppose  one  has  no  moral  consciousness. 
Suppose  one  is  conscious  of  nothing  but  blank  duration  of 
time,  varied  only  by  flashes  of  acute  suffering.  That's  my 
state  of  mind,  and  all  because  the  one  with  whom  my 
life  is  bound  up  has  chosen  to  deny  that  he  is  subject  to 
human  laws. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  I  don't  believe  that  Joseph  makes  any 
such  denial.  He  recognizes  and  follows  human  laws  so 
long  as  they  are  just  and  pure,  but  when  they  conflict  with 
the  higher  laws  he  cannot  compromise.  The  laws  of  God 
are  supreme. 

HELEN.  And  so  he  must  hang  by  his  hands  to  the 
dungeon  doors  of  Fort  Leavenworth.  I  tell  you  there  are 
no  laws  of  God.  There  is  no  God,  or  such  things  would 
not  be  allowed  to  be. 

MRS.  McCoNNELL.  God  is  not  personality.  God  is 
Consummate  Nature.  That  is  why  the  laws  of  God  per- 

104 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 

mit  of  evil,  pain  and  death,  real  and  undeniable. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  Do  you  call  it  only  Consummate  Na 
ture  that  sustains  Joseph  through  torture  in  prison?  I 
must  call  it  the  Lord. 

MRS.  McCoNNELL.  What  Lord  can  we  trust  in  more 
securely  than  Love,  the  Creative  Principle  of  all  Nature? 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  If  no  miraculous  event  of  superna 
tural  origin  is  to  be  hoped  for — and  I  admit  that  since 
the  war  my  old  belief  in  divine  intervention  has  been 
shaken — how  is  the  world  to  be  delivered  from  the  sin 
and  suffering  of  today? 

MRS.  McCoNNELL.  By  faith  made  rational.  When 
religion  ceases  to  be  fanatical  and  superstitious,  then  it 
can  be  put  into  practice,  and  the  Kingdom  of  Heaven, 
the  new  social  order  which  Jesus  the  radical  proclaimed, 
will  be  the  natural  result. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  Can  humanity  achieve  it  without  di 
vine  aid? 

MRS.  McCoNNELL.  That  depends  on  what  you  mean 
by  divine  aid.  The  hypothesis  of  natural  science  is  the 
first  requisite.  To  commune  with  the  Infinite  we  transcend 
the  physical,  but  we  do  not  do  so  in  violation  of  natural 
law.  Human  inspiration  cannot  be  supernatural. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  But  what  is  the  Source  of  human 
inspiration? 

MRS.  McCoNNELL.  Life  is  the  Source  of  human  in 
spiration.  The  Conscientious  Objectors  in  prison  prove 
this.  They  belong  to  various  schools  of  religious  thought 
and  many  claim  to  have  no  religion  at  all,  but  whatever 
their  creeds  or  negations  they  are  all  impervious  to  the 
sophistry  of  war  heroics.  This  is  not  from  any  extraordi 
nary,  divine  guidance  being  given  them,  but  because  they 
have  the  living  instinct  to  see  that  the  moral  standards  of 

105 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 

the  time  are  artificial  and  unnatural.  In  other  words, 
they  are  possessed  of  a  rational  ideal.  Such  knowledge 
innate  and  unwarped  in  the  human  soul  is  the  Light  of  the 
Spirit. 

HELEN.  Conscientious  Objectors  aren't  human.  I 
know  they're  not.  If  Joseph  were  human  he  would  have 
followed  Dick  Calkins  to  a  sheltered  place  inside  the  war 
machine,  from  which  he  could  come  back  to  me  sound  and 
sane.  But  no,  he  must  throw  himself  under  the  wheels  of 
the  machine  and  be  ground  to  dust.  Oh,  it  is  not  right 
for  him  to  follow  the  Light  of  the  Spirit,  as  you  call  it,  to 
the  inevitable  destruction  of  his  body  and  mind.  Even 
the  trenches  would  have  been  better  than  where  he  is, 
locked  in  darkness  and  filth,  starved  and  beaten  and  tor 
tured.  If  he  has  renounced  all  personal  ends  in  life,  I 
haven't.  I  want  my  husband. 

MRS.  McCoNNELL.    You  still  have  your  husband. 

HELEN.  I  want  him  here  beside  me.  I  care  for  noth 
ing  but  to  get  him  out  of  prison. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  We're  doing  all  we  can  to  obtain  his 
release. 

HELEN.  But  nothing  can  be  done,  because  he  won't 
obey  any  military  orders,  not  even  in  prison. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.     He  will  come  out  transfigured. 

HELEN  (excitedly).  He  will  come  out  insane  or  dead. 
Only  last  week  they  sent  a  dead  man  home  dressed  in  the 
uniform.  In  life  he  had  refused  to  put  on  the  uniform 
and  had  sat  in  the  dungeon  in  his  underclothes  until  he  got 
pneumonia  and  died.  But  in  death  they  had  him.  His 
body  had  to  submit  to  their  discipline  at  last.  Militarism 
will  have  its  way.  What's  the  use  of  bucking  against  the 
force  of  iron  and  steel?  What  is  the  Conscientious 
Objector's  ideal  anyway  but  one  single,  consuming  idea? 

106 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  One  single,  clear  vision  in  a  world 
gone  blind. 

HELEN.  A  filmy  dream.  I  hate  it.  I  would  lie,  I 
would  steal,  I  would  kill  to  get  my  husband  out  of  prison, 
but  I  can't  get  him  out  by  any  means  at  all,  because  he  is 
bound  hand  and  foot  by  his  merciless  principles. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  Helen,  you're  distraught.  Let's  not 
talk  of  Joseph  till  you're  calmer. 

HELEN  (wildly).  He  does  not  love  me.  He  does 
not  love  me  or  he  would  not  have  chosen  prison  instead 
of  me. 

MRS.  McCoNNELL.  He  loves  you  too  much  to  allow 
you  to  override  his  integrity.  I've  known  him  longer 
than  you  have,  my  dear.  (Goes  to  her  and  strokes  her 
hand  gently.)  I  understand  his  nature.  Don't  try  to 
change  him.  You  can't  do  it.  (HELEN  makes  no  an 
swer,  but  bursts  into  passionate  crying.) 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  She's  desperately  tired.  She  needs  a 
rest,  but  she  won't  take  one.  She  won't  do  anything  but 
work. 

MRS.  McCoNNELL.  Think,  Helen,  we're  all  suffer 
ing.  I  have  a  son  dead  on  the  battlefields  of  France.  I, 
his  mother,  in  ignorance  and  stupidity  encouraged  him  to 
follow  after  a  stupendous  mirage,  and  in  its  horrible 
reality  he  lost  his  life.  I  have  another  son  who  is  being 
tortured  in  the  dungeon  of  a  military  prison — your  hus 
band,  dear,  but  still  my  son — who,  in  spite  of  opposition 
from  you  and  me,  followed  the  course  of  the  wiser  brave. 
Without  a  murmur  he  is  making  his  sacrifice  that  the  coun 
terfeit  by  which  his  brother  was  deceived  may  be  exposed. 
It  is  for  you  and  me  to  give  him  our  moral  backing  with 
out  flinching  and  to  bear  his  sufferings  as  bravely  as  he 
does  himself. 


107 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 

HELEN.  I  can't  feel  as  you  do.  I'm  young.  I  want 
life. 

MRS.  McCoNNELL.     What  is  life  to  you? 

HELEN.     It's  something  that  sings  and  laughs. 

MRS.  McCoNNELL.  Laughter  is  not  of  today,  but 
there  can  be  song  in  suffering,  mighty  song. 

HELEN.     What  is  song  without  mirth? 

MRS.  McCoNNELL.  It  may  be  the  oratorio  of  a  new 
creation. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  That  is  how  your  soul  is  singing  when 
you  go  to  prison.  I  can  see  it  in  your  eyes. 

MRS.  McCoNNELL  (speaking  meditatively).  I'm  go 
ing  into  a  strange,  new  life.  I  have  no  idea  what  it  will 
be,  but  there  must  be  work  for  me  there  besides  the  hard 
labor  of  the  prison  workroom. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  I  feel  ashamed  that  I  am  not  going 
with  you. 

MRS.  McCoNNELL.  You  are  needed  outside  to  pass 
the  word  along  quietly.  It  wouldn't  do  for  us  all  to  be  in 
prison. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.     Yours  is  the  Spartan  task. 

MRS.  McCoNNELL.  I  know  that  life  in  prison  is  no  bed 
of  roses,  but  others  have  lived  through  it,  I  guess  I  can. 
The  experience  may  be  necessary  to  me.  My  faith  is  not 
so  tranquil  as  yours.  It  requires  continual  renewal  through 
inner  struggle. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  How  could  a  jury  be  so  warped  as  to 
convict  a  woman  like  you? 

MRS.  McCoNNELL.  I'm  no  different  from  hundreds 
of  others  who  have  fallen  into  the  toils  of  war-time  "jus 


tice." 


HELEN.     A  trial   for  sedition   is  a  greased  chute  to 
prison  it  seems. 

108 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 

MRS.  McCoNNELL.  When  the  delusion  of  patriotism 
reaches  its  zenith  reason  falls  to  its  abyss. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  Do  you  remember  the  words  of  your 
judge  about  the  divine  right  of  country  in  that  astonishing 
speech  he  made  when  he  sentenced  you? 

MRS.  McCoNNELL.  I  have  them  down  by  heart. 
"Country  exists  by  natural,  divine  right  and  its  authority 
to  command  is  of  God.  You  have  not  considered  suffi 
ciently  the  religion  of  patriotism.  You  have  been  weighed 
in  the  balance  of  loyalty,  patriotism  and  devotion  to  coun 
try  and  found  wanting.  Therefore  it  is  the  judgment  of 
this  court  that  you  be  confined  in  the  federal  prison  at 
hard  labor  for  a  term  of  ten  years,  etc.,  etc." 

HELEN.  Do  you  know  what  came  into  my  mind  when 
I  heard  him  say  those  words  to  you? 

MRS.  McCoNNELL.  I  hope  you  didn't  condemn  him 
in  your  heart.  It's  his  religion. 

HELEN.  If  it's  his  religion  it  doesn't  set  very  heavy 
on  him  for  you  don't  see  him  renouncing  his  proud  seat 
on  the  bench  for  a  bunk  in  a  dugout. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  I  wanted  to  ask  him  myself  why  he 
remained  so  far  from  his  country's  battle  front,  but  it 
didn't  seem  worth  while  to  be  arrested  for  contempt  of 
court  when  my  soul  was  so  thoroughly  guilty  of  such 
contempt. 

HELEN.  I  was  so  filled  with  hatred  for  him  sitting 
there  rubbing  his  fat  cheeks  with  his  soft  hands  that  I 
could  have  killed  him.  If  Joseph  and  the  rest  of  you  ever 
succeed  in  making  a  revolutionist  out  of  me,  I  warn  you, 
I'll  be  a  fiery  one.  I'll  use  the  nearest  weapons  at  hand 
and  I'll  strike  for  immediate  results,  not  for  some  distant, 
hazy  Utopia.  For  freedom  I'll  pay  no  less  than  the  price 
of  blood. 

109 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 

MRS.  McCoNNELL.  Some  day  the  prostrate  world 
will  know  that  blood  does  not  buy  freedom.  Some  day 
humanity  will  rise  in  moral  resurrection  from  this  tomb  of 
tradition.  Then  it  will  look  back  over  history  and  see 
that  only  false  or  transitory  ends  have  ever  been  gained 
by  war.  In  America  we  boast  of  our  freedom  paid  for 
by  the  blood  of  our  forefathers  in  the  revolution,  but  now 
in  1918  what  is  left  of  that  freedom  but  shattered  frag 
ments?  And  look  at  poor  France.  Where  is  that  virile 
spirit  flown  that  once  caused  her  to  rise  against  the  wrongs 
of  the  Bourbon  monarchy?  It  could  not  transcend  the 
blood  streams  of  the  guillotine.  As  a  natural  conse 
quence  of  the  violence  of  her  revolution,  France  accepted 
the  perfect  imperialism  of  Napoleon  from  which  she  has 
never  recovered  physically  or  morally. 

HELEN.     What  about  Russia? 

MRS.  McCoNNELL.  Russia  is  the  world's  hope  to 
day,  but  let  her  guard  well  the  fire  within  her  own  breast 
lest  tomorrow  she  cease  to  be  the  great  emancipator.  If 
her  vigorous  industrial  government  becomes  militarised  it 
will  inevitably  lose  its  truly  revolutionary  character.  The 
Russian  revolution,  like  other  revolutions,  will  succeed  in 
inverse  proportion  to  the  bloodshed  resorted  to  in  pro 
moting  it.  But  whether  the  soviet  system  prevails  or  falls 
in  Russia  the  new  world  order  is  being  born  in  the  cosmic 
throes  which  are  now  upon  Russia.  A  new  cycle  of  evolu 
tion  is  manifesting  itself  in  industrial  upheavel,  and  every 
corner  of  the  earth  will  be  touched  by  it  before  the  world 
is  regenerated. 

HELEN.  According  to  what  we  read  in  the  papers 
there  is  nothing  going  on  in  Russia  but  murder  and 
plunder. 

MRS.   McCoNNELL.     That   is   all  the   capitalistic   in- 

110 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 

terests  wish  to  see  going  on  there.  If  it  doesn't  go  on 
sufficiently  to  condemn  sovietism  in  the  eyes  of  the  world, 
these  interests  will  see  to  it  that  it  increases. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  Russia  can't  have  outgrown  patriot 
ism  entirely  or  she  would  not  be  organizing  a  new  army. 

MRS.  McCoNNELL.  If  the  Allies  can  bait  her  into 
maintaining  a  strong  army  they  can  more  easily  destroy 
sovietism.  Under  military  discipline  the  soviet  state  will 
necessarily  take  precedence  of  the  soviet  idea,  and  a  state 
is  more  easily  destroyed  than  an  idea.  If  they  can  draw 
her  into  continued  military  defense  she  may  forget  her 
revolutionary  internationalism  in  a  revival  of  elementary 
nationalism. 

HELEN.  The  only  angle  of  the  war  that  I  have  any 
sympathy  with  is  the  Bolsheviki  defense.  If  I  were  a 
Russian  I  wouldn't  hesitate  to  make  use  of  a  machine  gun. 

MRS.  McCoNNELL.  Bullets  can't  defend  ideas,  for 
ideas  and  lead  have  nothing  in  common.  The  only  valid 
aggression  or  defense  in  the  whole  scheme  of  struggling 
nature  is  positive  non-resistance.  In  plant  growth  it  is 
the  concentration  of  sap  in  the  new  shoots  after  the  rav 
ages  of  weather  or  the  violent  onslaughts  of  the  pruning 
shears;  in  animal  life  it  is  the  prowess  of  sagacity  as  op 
posed  to  fierceness,  and  in  the  human  sphere  it  is  the  phil 
osophy  of  the  folded  arms.  The  solidarity  of  a  group 
which  has  the  will  and  intelligence  to  remain  inert  till  the 
moment  arrives  for  concerted  constructive  action  is  more 
powerful  than  the  biggest  and  best  equipped  army  that 
ever  went  out  to  fight.  Without  the  spilling  of  any  blood 
the  industries  necessary  to  society  could  be  taken  over  and 
controlled  by  the  workers  if  the  desire  to  do  so  were  strong 
enough.  The  capitalist  system  is  rotten  to  the  core,  and 
all  that  is  needed  to  topple  it  over  is  a  non-resistant  and 

ill 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 

irresistible  will  on  the  part  of  those  who  are  exploited 
by  it. 

HELEN.  Your  remarks  are  out  of  season.  Why 
should  anybody  want  to  overthrow  such  a  beneficent  sys 
tem  even  if  it  is  rotten?  It  not  only  gives  us  fixed  stand 
ards  of  respectability  without  which  we  would  be  floun 
dering  in  hopeless  vulgarity,  but  it  offers  such  handsome 
opportunities  for  benevolence  and  philanthropy.  Why, 
whole  nations  are  moved  to  altruism  by  it.  Didn't  Eng 
land  enter  the  war  for  the  sole  purpose  of  defending  the 
women  and  children  of  Belgium,  and  isn't  America  asking 
nothing  in  return  for  her  gallant  salvation  of  democracy? 
That  England  is  incidentally  starving  a  few  million  wo 
men  and  children  in  the  central  nations  and  Russia,  with  her 
economic  blockade,  only  enhances  her  virtue,  for  by  this 
method  the  produce  of  the  earth  falls  exclusively  upon  the 
just — an  improvement  upon  the  profligacy  of  the  Almighty 
who  sends  his  rain  upon  the  just  and  unjust.  Though 
America  is  producing  a  large  and  lusty  crop  of  blood 
profiteers,  we  need  feel  no  shame,  for  it  redounds  mag 
nificently  to  our  national  honor  in  the  swelled  treas 
uries  of  our  war  charities.  And  when  Germany  vio 
lated  Belgium,  invaded  France  and  sank  the  Lusitania 
did  she  not  do  so  "of  necessity"  in  the  interests  of 
civilization?  Why  change  a  system  that  makes  for 
such  sublime  self-abnegation  that  aviators,  'irrespective  of 
nationality,  are  willing  to  risk  their  lives  dropping  bombs 
on  school-houses  and  hospitals  in  the  enemy  border  towns 
under  the  sworn  oath  that  all  reprisals  shall  be  at  the  rate 
of  ten  to  one? 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  Oh,  these  terrible  years!  Can  the 
world  ever  forget  them? 

MRS.   McCoNNELL.     The  world  mustn't  forget  them. 

112 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 

The  horror  of  them  must  be  burned  into  the  conscious 
ness  of  the  race  till  war  becomes  repulsive  even  in  historic 
perspective.  I  would  be  willing  to  spend  the  rest  of  my 
life  in  prison  if  I  could  by  so  doing  help  to  lay  the  founda 
tion  stones  for  a  universal  strike  against  war  and  its  ad 
vance  agent,  preparedness  for  war. 

HELEN.  You  can't,  and  you're  throwing  your  life 
away  trying  to.  People  will  always  reverence  war.  Wait 
till  the  next  "war  to  end  war"  comes  along.  You'll  see 
the  crowd  running  after  its  tinsel  on  parade  with  the 
same  bleer-eyed  lust  as  now.  You'll  hear  the  same  sound 
ing  brass  from  the  pulpits  in  the  name  of  Christ,  and 
from  every  house  on  your  block  the  same  syncopated 
strains  of  jazz  patriotism  will  vibrate  in  your  window  till 
you're  forced  either  to  join  in  the  crazy  tune  or  be  damned 
by  your  own  sanity.  Yes,  your  noble  humanity  can't  be 
happy  without  its  occasional  war  spree  and  it  will  always 
be  willing  to  die  the  fearful  deaths  of  war  for  the  pleasure 
it  gets  from  war's  perfect  abandonment.  You  can't 
deny  that  in  the  last  analysis  humanity  is  essentially  carnal. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  Humanity  is  essentially  spiritual.  If 
it  were  not  so  it  would  not  be  able  to  produce  one  Con 
scientious  Objector,  but  every  war  has  had  its  isolated 
dissenters  and  this  war  has  summoned  thousands  to  pun 
ishment  for  ideals.  The  power  is  latent  in  the  breast  of 
humanity  to  overcome  the  degeneracy  of  war. 

HELEN.  The  superstition  that  war  is  sublime  sacrifice 
is  bred  in  the  bone  of  the  race.  The  old  traditions  of  war 
heroism  will  always  be  stronger  than  the  impulse  to  real 
heroism  can  ever  become.  Take  the  women  in  this  war 
for  example*  thousands  of  them,  millions  of  them  all 
over  the  world  sitting  knitting — knitting  their  brains  out. 
Why?  Not  because  they  are  supplying  anything  needed 

113 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 

by  the  soldiers  (the  factories  can  manufacture  knitted 
goods  much  more  easily  and  satisfactorily),  but  because  it 
is  a  war  tradition  that  women  shall  knit  while  men  fight. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  I  believe  that  women  will  be  the 
first  to  see  war  in  its  true  light,  though  they  are  the  most 
deceived  by  it  now. 

HELEN.  I  doubt  it  when  I  see  some  of  your  famous 
pre-war  pacifist  women  occupying  themselves  with  the 
milder  forms  of  war  work  such  as  food  conservation  with 
its  corollary  of  enemy  starvation.  Oh,  yes,  war  is  very 
wrong  and  unnecessary  in  time  of  peace,  but  when  the  big 
horn  begins  to  blow  then  our  peace  societies  and  our  anti 
war  periodicals  suddenly  discover  that  "This  war  is  dif 
ferent;  this  is  a  war  for  humanity,  a  righteous  war,  a 
war  for  world  peace.  So  it  is  now  and  so  it  ever  shall  be. 

MRS.  McCoNNELL.  We  who  know  the  truth  about 
war  can  do  but  one  thing — pledge  our  lives  to  the  over 
throwing  of  the  evils  that  cause  it.  Capitalism  and  pa 
triotism  are  the  body  and  soul  of  war. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  In  the  universal  commune  war  will 
be  an  extinct  phenomenon. 

HELEN.     Mother,  you  talk  like  Joseph. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  Joseph  has  been  my  teacher  since  Mr. 
Thorp  failed  me. 

HELEN  (thoughtfully}.  Joseph,  Joseph,  if  I  could 
listen  to  you  as  a  teacher  I  might  become  reconciled. 

MRS.  McCoNNELL.  His  light  will  envelop  you  yet. 
I'm  sure  it  will. 

HELEN.     It's  too  strong.     It  dazzles  me. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  Didn't  you  say  that  Sergeant  Murry 
was  coming  for  you  at  half  past  three?  It's  a  quarter  to 
four. 

MRS.   McCoNNELL.     Well,  I'm  in  no  hurry  if  he  isn't, 

114 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 

though  I'm  all  ready  to  go.  J  left  some  letters  in  the 
desk  to  be  mailed  after  I'm  safely  locked  up. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  I'll  not  forget  about  them,  and 
can't  you  think  of  anything  else  for  me  to  do?  I'm  so 
afraid  you've  forgotten  something.  Are  you  sure  you've 
attended  to  everything? 

HELEN.  Of  course  she  has.  She's  not  the  woman  to 
lose  her  head  over  a  little  thing  like  going  to  prison  for 
ten  years. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  If  I  were  of  my  old  faith  I'd  say, 
"I'll  pray  for  you,"  but  prayer  has  a  different  meaning 
to  me  now.  The  war  has  taken  away  my  glibness  in 
offering  prayer.  I  am  dumb  before  the  infinity  of  your 
Creative  Principle  and  my  Creator  God. 

MRS.  McCoNNELL.  Sympathy  is  the  essence  of  real 
prayer.  You  may  pray  for  me  on  that  basis  for  I'm  sure 
of  the  potency  of  such  prayer. 

HELEN.  Well,  I  can't  deny  that  your  religion  of  nat 
ural  spirituality  gives  my  skepticism  a  jar  when  I  see  you 
going  off  to  prison  as  if —  (Door  bell  rings.)  Oh, 
Mother,  it's  the  officer  to  take  her.  ( Throws  up  her 
hands  and  covers  her  face  in  horror.  MRS.  HOLDEN 
opens  the  door  to  SERGEANT  MuRRY.) 

SERGEANT  MURRY  (entering  quickly).  Is  Mrs.  Mc- 
Connell  ready?  She's  expecting  me,  I  guess. 

MRS.  McCoNNELL.  Yes,  you're  late.  I've  been  wait 
ing  for  you. 

SERGEANT  MURRY  (rather  gruffly).  I  know  I'm  late 
and  we  haven't  got  no  time  to  waste.  My  instructions  is 
to  bring  you  right  along. 

MRS.  McCoNNELL.  My  friends  may  go  with  me  to 
the  train,  I  suppose. 

SERGEANT  MURRY.     I    don't    care   how    many    goes 

115 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 

along  if  they'll  behave  thereselves. 

MRS.  McCoNNELL.  I'll  put  on  my  hat  and  be  right 
out.  (Goes  to  next  room.  HELEN  follows.) 

MRS.  HOLDEN  (calling  to  HELEN  as  she  goes  out). 
Bring  my  things,  too,  please.  We  must  hurry. 

SERGEANT  MURRY.  Yes,  you  bet  you  must  hurry.  I 
can't  wait  a  year. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.     Won't  you  sit  down? 

SERGEANT  MURRY.  No,  thanks.  (Walks  about  the 
room  rather  impatiently,  then  leans  against  the  table, 
thumping  it  nervously.) 

MRS.  HOLDEN  (who  has  seated  herself,  points  to  an 
easy  chair  near  her  and  speaks  graciously).  You'd  better 
take  this  chair,  sergeant,  and  rest  a  little. 

SERGEANT  MURRY.    All  right.    (Sits  down.) 

MRS.  HOLDEN.     I  suppose  you're  a  very  busy  man. 

SERGEANT  MURRY.  Well,  the  sergeant  of  the  war 
squad's  not  fooling  away  his  time,  I'll  tell  you  that,  with 
all  the  sedition  that's  floating  around  loose. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  What  is  your  special  work,  may  I 
ask? 

SERGEANT  MURRY  (with  an  air  of  dignity).  Slack 
ers,  pro-Germans,  Pacifists,  smugglers  and  wireless  tap 
pers.  All  such  cases  in  this  locality  goes  first  through  my 
hands  for  investigation.  I  make  my  reports  direct  to  the 
Department  of  Justice. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  Oh,  that's  the  way  we're  classified,  is 
it?  How  interesting. 

SERGEANT  MURRY.     Yes,  ma'am. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  Do  you  enjoy  these  investigations? 
I'm  quite  anxious  to  know. 

SERGEANT  MURRY.  I'm  proud  to  be  serving  the  gov 
ernment.  Who  wouldn't  be? 

116 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  You  think  it  right  to  send  people 
like  Mrs.  McConnell  to  jail? 

SERGEANT  MURRY.  Well,  I  guess  she  wouldn't  be 
going  there  if  she  hadn't  broke  the  law,  would  she?  The 
law's  got  to  be  enforced  alike  for  everybody.  If  anyone 
ain't  a  law  abidin'  citizen  they've  got  to  go  to  jail  and 
there's  no  two  ways  about  it.  Law  is  law. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.     What  about  the  higher  law? 

SERGEANT  MURRY.  Ain't  the  federal  law  the  highest 
there  is? 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  It  seems  to  me  that  the  federal  law 
has  fallen  very  low  when  citizens  are  forbidden  to  express 
their  honest  opinions  on  public  questions  as  provided  in 
the  constitution. 

SERGEANT  MURRY.  Well,  if  you  don't  like  the  laws 
of  this  country  all  I  can  say  is  you'd  better  get  out. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  I  was  born  in  this  country  and  so 
were  my  ancestors  for  ten  or  more  generations.  It  is  my 
privilege  to  criticize  the  government  as  much  as  I  please 
and  the  government  has  no  right  to  stop  me. 

SERGEANT  MURRY.  It  isn't  for  nobody  outside  the 
government  to  say  what  the  government's  got  a  right  to 
do.  The  government's  boss  and  you  nor  nobody  can't  get 
around  it. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  It  was  intended  that  the  people 
should  be  boss. 

SERGEANT  MURRY.  Maybe  onst,  but  when  there's 
war  there's  got  to  be  discipline.  It's  different  now  from 
what  it  was  before  the  war. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  I  should  say  it  is.  Power  has  made 
the  government  drunk. 

SERGEANT  MURRY.  Lady,  I'm  sergeant  of  the  war 
squad  of  this  city,  sworn  to  do  my  duty  and  I'll  do  it.  You 

117 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 

better  be  careful.  I  tell  you  right  here  that  I'll  have  no 
disrespectful  words  spoke  against  the  government  in  my 
presence  even  if  I  am  sitting  down  in  your  house. 

MRS.  HOLDEN  (unabashed,  speaking  good-naturedly) . 
From  whom  do  you  get  your  authority,  sergeant? 

SERGEANT  MURRY.     From  the  government. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.     Who  is  the  government? 

SERGEANT  MURRY.  Well,  I  guess  the  president's 
somebody. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  But  isn't  the  president  elected  by  the 
people  ? 

SERGEANT  MURRY.  The  people  maybe  elects  the 
president  but  after  he's  elected  it's  him  that  tells  the  peo 
ple  where  to  get  off  at. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  And  they  proceed  to  get  off  where 
he  tells  them.  That's  the  discouraging  part.  On  the 
other  hand,  he  is  bound  by  existing  conditions  to  get  off 
sooner  or  later  where  Wall  Street  tells  him  to.  The 
people  must  reject  this  usurpation  of  their  authority  if  we 
are  ever  to  be  a  free  country  again. 

SERGEANT  MURRY.  Anarchists  like  you  hadn't  ought 
to  be  allowed  loose,  but  if  they  start  anything  they'll  find 
the  government's  ready  for  them. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  I  doubt  if  the  government  is  ready 
for  a  spiritual  uprising  of  the  people. 

SERGEANT  MURRY.  So  you're  a  spiritualist?  That's 
all  damned  nonsense.  You  think  the  government's  afraid 
of  spooks,  do  you? 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  No,  but  I  wouldn't  be  surprised  to 
see  the  government  in  its  present  form  fade  away  into  the 
realm  of  spooks  after  a  while.  I'm  looking  for  a  world 
revolution,  you  know. 

SERGEANT  MURRY.     Well,   maybe  you'll  be   on  the 

118 


THE  JAZZ  OF  PATRIOTISM 

inside  looking  out  yourself  some  day  if  you  keep  on. 
(MRS.  McCoNNELL  and  HELEN  come  in  ready  to  go. 
HELEN  helps  her  mother  quickly  to  put  on  her  coat  and 
hat  while  SERGEANT  MURRY  waits  impatiently  by  the 
door.)  Hurry  up!  I  can't  wait  a  year. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.     Yes,  we're  coming. 

HELEN  (picking .  up  MRS.  McCoNNELL' s  traveling 
bag).  I'll  carry  this. 

MRS.  McCoNNELL.  All  right,  but  don't  forget  to 
give  it  to  me  when  I  get  on  the  train,  for  it's  all  the 
worldly  goods  I'm  taking  with  me.  My  new  clothes  are 
waiting  for  me  there. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  Oh,  this  is  too  terrible.  To  see  you 
off  to  prison — a  woman  like  you. 

HELEN.     The  whole  world's  in  prison. 

MRS.   McCoNNELL.      I  never  felt  freer  in  my  life. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  That's  because  you're  bearing  wit 
ness  before  the  world  that  the  war  is  a  lie. 

MRS.   McCoNNELL.     The  witness  of  forced  silence. 

HELEN.     Gagged  for  telling  the  truth. 

MRS.  HOLDEN.  But  gagged  and  silent  her  living  tes 
timony  will  be  heard  when  the  loud-mouthed  rantings  of 
today  are  still. 

SERGEANT  MURRY  (opening  the  door).  Come  along. 
No  more  stalling  around.  Step  lively.  (All  go  out.) 

THE  END 


119 


VB   1464 


U.C.  BERKELEY  LIBRARIES 


397961 

v   • 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 


